{"id":3494,"date":"2021-07-18T11:53:04","date_gmt":"2021-07-18T11:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/?post_type=insight&p=3494"},"modified":"2025-04-29T13:26:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T13:26:12","slug":"accords-de-poursuite-differee-ce-quils-sont-et-comment-ils-fonctionnent","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/fr\/perspectives\/accords-de-poursuite-differee-ce-quils-sont-et-comment-ils-fonctionnent\/","title":{"rendered":"Accords de poursuite diff\u00e9r\u00e9e - ce qu'ils sont et comment ils fonctionnent"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the second part of her article about<\/a> legislation to combat international bribery, Ellen Sanchenko, Criminal<\/a> Litiges<\/a> solicitor, looks at Deferred Prosecution Agreements<\/a> which were introduced with the intention<\/a> of avoiding lengthy and expensive prosecutions of self-reporting companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date : 15 f\u00e9vrier 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dans la deuxi\u00e8me partie de son article sur la l\u00e9gislation visant \u00e0 lutter contre la corruption internationale, Ellen Sanchenko, avocate sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9e dans le contentieux p\u00e9nal, se penche sur les accords de poursuite diff\u00e9r\u00e9e, qui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 introduits dans le but d'\u00e9viter des poursuites longues et co\u00fbteuses \u00e0 l'encontre des entreprises qui se d\u00e9noncent elles-m\u00eames.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Deferred Prosecution Agreement<\/a> (DPA) is somewhat in the style of a plea bargain. It is effectively an agreement between a prosecuting body \u2013 the Serious Fraud<\/a> Office (SFO) or Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) \u2013 and a commercial<\/a> entity which could potentially be prosecuted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the agreement, a prosecutor charges<\/a> a company with an offence, but proceedings are suspended in case the DPA is approved by a judge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Il est essentiel de noter qu'une entreprise soup\u00e7onn\u00e9e d'avoir commis un acte criminel ne peut pas automatiquement entamer des n\u00e9gociations en vue d'un DPA ; une entreprise ne serait invit\u00e9e \u00e0 entamer des n\u00e9gociations que si elle coop\u00e9rait pleinement aux enqu\u00eates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can be ascertained from previous cases is that self-reporting is highly encouraged to the extent that it became a key consideration<\/a> in determining whether a company cooperated with the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a DPA is agreed, the company must satisfy the conditions<\/a> set out in it, such as paying a penalty<\/a>, compensation, etc. If the company does not do what is required, the prosecution is likely to resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les DPA ont \u00e9t\u00e9 introduits en vertu de l'article 7 du Bribery Act et ont \u00e9t\u00e9 mis \u00e0 la disposition des procureurs en 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the way the authorities decide to proceed, either by way of a DPA or by way of a prosecution, this can lead to significant penalties. It undoubtedly serves as a strong incentive for commercial organisations<\/a> to invest in reinforcing compliance frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Les critiques disent que les accords servent \u00e0 \u00e9chapper \u00e0 la culpabilit\u00e9.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DPAs have proved to be an effective enforcement<\/a> tool. Since their introduction, the Serious Fraud Office has been actively using them, and in the majority of cases, the corporate<\/a> organisation in question accepted at least one charge of section 7 \u2018failure to prevent\u2019 offence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew Wagstaff, Joint Head of Bribery & Corruption, s'exprimant lors de la 11e conf\u00e9rence annuelle sur la gestion de l'information, les enqu\u00eates et la conformit\u00e9 en mati\u00e8re d'administration de la preuve \u00e9lectronique (eDiscovery), a d\u00e9clar\u00e9<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLa raison d'\u00eatre des DPA est simple : ils visent \u00e0 \u00e9viter des poursuites longues et co\u00fbteuses, avec toute l'incertitude prolong\u00e9e que cela peut entra\u00eener pour les victimes, les employ\u00e9s irr\u00e9prochables et les autres personnes qui peuvent d\u00e9pendre de la fortune de l'entreprise\u201d.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of their obvious success<\/a>, DPAs have received strong criticism from those who say that such agreements also serve as an escape from culpability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transparence<\/a> International UK, the country\u2019s leading independent anti-corruption ) organisation, has been particularly critical of the outcome<\/a> of a case involving Rolls-Royce which entered into a DPA with the SFO on January 17 2017 following a four-year investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert Barrington, directeur ex\u00e9cutif, a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 qu'il \u00e9tait \u201cabsurde qu'une entreprise puisse admettre avoir vers\u00e9 des pots-de-vin et que ni les corrupteurs, ni les \u00e9quipes de direction qui ont permis \u00e0 ce crime de se produire, ne soient tenus pour responsables\u201d.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Il a ajout\u00e9 : \u201cIl est difficile de croire que les int\u00e9r\u00eats de la justice ont \u00e9t\u00e9 servis, ou qu'il y a eu une reconnaissance appropri\u00e9e des victimes du crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis case is in danger of sending a message to companies that DPAs are a soft option for those engaging in serious corruption and that, at the right<\/a> price, can buy their way out of punishment, giving impunity to those who fragrantly broke the law.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018L'enqu\u00eate a port\u00e9 sur de nombreux paiements effectu\u00e9s par la soci\u00e9t\u00e9.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

En effet, \u00e0 l'\u00e9poque de l'enqu\u00eate sur Rolls-Royce, le SFO a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 qu'il s'agissait de l'enqu\u00eate la plus importante de son histoire. Rolls-Royce a \u00e9t\u00e9 inculp\u00e9e de six chefs d'accusation pour conspiration de corruption, de cinq chefs d'accusation pour d\u00e9faut de pr\u00e9vention de la corruption et d'un chef d'accusation pour fausse comptabilit\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L'enqu\u00eate portait sur de nombreux paiements effectu\u00e9s par la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e0 ses interm\u00e9diaires dans au moins sept juridictions. Ces paiements auraient \u00e9t\u00e9 effectu\u00e9s dans le cadre de l'attribution de contrats de grande valeur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rolls-Royce took responsibility for its corrupt behaviour that occurred over three decades, seven jurisdictions and three businesses. For this it paid<\/a> a fine of nearly half a billion pounds. However, in 2019 the SFO concluded its investigation against Rolls-Royce and confirmed that no individuals would face prosecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certaines critiques portent \u00e9galement sur le fait qu'il est pratiquement impossible d'obtenir des condamnations contre les personnes impliqu\u00e9es dans les DPA, car au Royaume-Uni, contrairement aux \u00c9tats-Unis par exemple, les particuliers ne peuvent pas y avoir acc\u00e8s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further information contact<\/a> Ellen on <\/strong>020 7613 1402 ou\u00a0courriel<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dans la troisi\u00e8me et derni\u00e8re partie de cet article, qui sera publi\u00e9e prochainement, Ellen explique la diff\u00e9rence entre les accords de poursuites diff\u00e9r\u00e9es au Royaume-Uni et les accords similaires en vigueur aux \u00c9tats-Unis et en France.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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