RCMP Closes Nordion Foreign Bribery Investigation

On the heels of the March 3, 2016 announcement by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that Nordion (Canada) Inc. (Nordion Canada) would be paying $375,000 as civil fine for resolution of the U.S. anti-corruption enforcement, reports started to emerge that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has closed its foreign bribery investigation into Nordion Canada due to lack of evidence.

The violations that resulted in the fine being imposed by the SEC against Nordion Canada concerned several payments made under a scheme allegedly involving a Canadian-based employee, Mikhail Gourevitch, who introduced Nordion Canada's predecessor public company (Nordion) to a Russian businessman and his wholly-owned company (collectively the Agent). In early 2002, Nordion executed its first written consulting agreement with the Agent to obtain medical isotopes from a Russian government instrumentality.