Recent developments in a bribery case have revealed allegations involving SGO Corporation Limited, the parent company of Smartmatic, and its role in illicit activities linked to the 2016 Philippine national elections. According to a superseding indictment by a federal grand jury in Miami, the case centers on a scheme involving over $1 million in bribes allegedly paid to a former Philippine election official to secure government contracts.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office release, the indictment names SGO Corporation Limited, three of its executives—Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez, Jorge Miguel Vasquez, and Elie Moreno—and former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Juan Andres Donato Bautista, who remains at large. Prosecutors allege that funds were obtained through over-invoicing of election equipment and transferred across international banks using falsified contracts and coded communications.
The charges include conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), direct FCPA violations, and international money laundering. Each count of money laundering carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The investigation is being led by the IRS Criminal Investigation Miami office and Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force Miami.
Case documents and updates are available through the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the PACER system.
