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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department alleges two former executives for Cognizant Technology Solutions paid about $2 million in bribes to Indian officials to build an office campus in the country.
Prosecutors said Friday the information technology giant's former president, Gordon Coburn, and ex-chief legal officer, Steven Schwartz, were charged in an indictment unsealed in New Jersey.
They allege Coburn and Schwartz authorized the bribes and concealed them by having a construction company make the payment. Prosecutors say Cognizant repaid the money through phony construction invoices.
The Justice Department declined to charge Cognizant. In a related case, the company agreed to pay $25 million to settle charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Cognizant said it cooperated with investigators. It called Friday's announcement a "major step forward in putting this behind us."
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