Ex-Cognizant execs accused of bribing Indian officials

WASHINGTON – 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 phoney 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 co-operated with investigators. It called Friday’s announcement a “major step forward in putting this behind us.”