BASF, Hoffmann-La Roche Execs Plead Guilty To Vitamin Conspiracy Charges
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Three former BASF executives and a former Hoffmann-La Roche official will serve U.S. jail time and pay criminal fines after agreeing to plead guilty in Dallas federal court to charges of participating in an international vitamin price-fixing conspiracy, the Justice Department announced April 6.
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Vitamin price-fixing
Former Hoffmann-La Roche Vitamins and Fine Chemicals Division President Roland Bronnimann pleads guilty to Justice Department charges of conspiracy to "fix, increase and maintain" prices of vitamins A, E, B2, B5, C and beta carotene sold in the U.S. Bronnimann, who left the firm as a result of the ongoing DoJ investigation, will serve a five-month jail term and pay a $150,000 fine. He is the second former Roche exec to be charged. In a May 20 settlement, Roche agreed to pay a $500 mil. criminal fine and former Vitamins and Fine Chemicals Division Worldwide Marketing Director Kuno Sommer was sentenced to a four-month prison term and a $100,000 fine (1"The Tan Sheet" May 24, p. 13)