United States v. Naeem R. Tyab (D.D.C. 2019)
United States v. Mahamoud A. Bechir (D.D.C. 2019)
United States v. Youssouf H. Takane (D.D.C. 2019)
United States v. Nouracham B. Niam (D.D.C. 2019)

• Case Name
• United States v. Naeem R. Tyab (D.D.C. 2019)
  United States v. Mahamoud A. Bechir (D.D.C. 2019)
  United States v. Youssouf H. Takane (D.D.C. 2019)
  United States v. Nouracham B. Niam (D.D.C. 2019)

• Date Filed
• 02/07/2019

• Enforcement Agency
• DOJ

• Foreign Official
• Mahamoud Adam Bechir & Youssouf Hamid Takane, officials in Chad’s embassy in the U.S.

• Date of Conduct
• 2009 to 2014

• Nature of Business
• Naeem Riaz Tyab, a citizen of Canada, was a founding shareholder of a Canadian start-up Energy Company (“Company”) and served as a director of the Company from 2009 to 2011.
  
  Mahamoud Adam Bechir (“Bechir”) was the Republic of Chad’s Ambassador to the US and Canada and served at the Embassy of Chad in the District of Columbia from around 2004 to 2012.
  
  Youssouf Hamid Takane was Chad’s Deputy Chief of Mission to the US and Canada and served at the US Embassy in DC from around 2007 to 2012.
  
  Nouracham Bechir Niam (“Niam”) was the wife of Bechir and resided in DC between approximately 2009 and 2011.

• Influence to be Obtained
• According to the indictment, Tyab, Niam, and their co-conspirators unlawfully conspired to enrich themselves by making corrupt payments to Chadian officials, including Bechir and Takane, to obtain profitable oil contracts and rights from the Chadian government for Tyab’s Energy Company. Tyab and Niam sought to achieve their goals by, among other things, conducting in-person, email, and telephone discussions of their plan and agreement to pay bribes to Chadian officials and the methods by which they would pay the bribes to secure the contracts and rights.
  
  Tyab and Niam allegedly attempted to disguise the bribes to Chadian officials as legitimate business transactions by using false consulting agreements, transmitting payments to shell companies, and by transferring the Company's shares to Bechir and Takane indirectly through Niam. Tyab is charged in the indictment for allegedly arranging for the bribe to be paid to Niam through a false contract for consulting services that she never provided. In addition to the bribe payment, the Company also issued shares within the Company to Niam. Tyab and Niam allegedly made illicit payments through wire transfers and money orders and established a US bank account through which they directed payments.
  
  Bechir and Takane allegedly engaged in the conspiracy between 2009 and 2014 while serving as diplomats in the Embassy of Chad in DC. The DOJ alleges that Bechir and Takane demanded and accepted a $2 million bribe from the Company in exchange for a promise to misuse their official positions and influence with the government of Chad to assist the Company in obtaining oil rights in the country.

• Enforcement
• On May 24, 2021, the DOJ announced a five-count indictment against Tyab, Bechir, Takane, and Niam. Tyab and Niam were both charged with conspiracy to violate the FCPA. The remaining four counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering, were filed against all four defendants.
  
  Tyab was arrested in the Southern District of New York on February 9, 2019, and subsequently, on April 30, 2019, he entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA. As part of his guilty plea, Tyab agreed to forfeit criminal proceeds of approximately $27 million. His sentencing remains pending.
  
  The other three defendants remain at large.

• Amount of the Value
• Approximately $2 million.

• Amount of Business Related to Payment
• Not stated.

• Intermediary
• None.

• Compliance Monitor
• No

• Reporting Requirements
• No

• Case is Pending?
• Yes

Naeem R. Tyab

• Citation
• United States v. Tyab, Bechir, Takane, & Niam, No. 1:19-cr-00038 (RJL) (D.D.C. 2019).

• Date Filed
• 02/07/2019

• Filed Under Seal
• Yes

• Date Case Was Unsealed
• 05/24/2021
  

• FCPA Statutory Provision
• • Conspiracy

• Other Statutory Provision
• Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.

• Disposition
• Guilty Plea

• Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
• Territorial Jurisdiction, Conspiracy

• Defendant's Citizenship
• Canada

• Individual Sanction
• Pending. 

Mahamoud A. Bechir

• Citation
• United States v. Tyab, Bechir, Takane, & Niam, No. 1:19-cr-00038 (RJL) (D.D.C. 2019).

• Date Filed
• 02/07/2019

• Filed Under Seal
• Yes

• Date Case Was Unsealed
• 05/24/2021
  

• FCPA Statutory Provision
• • Conspiracy

• Other Statutory Provision
• Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; Concealment Money Laundering.

• Disposition
• Pending, Pending

• Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
• Territorial Jurisdiction, Conspiracy

• Defendant's Citizenship
• Chad

• Individual Sanction
• Pending.

Youssouf H. Takane

• Citation
• United States v. Tyab, Bechir, Takane, & Niam, No. 1:19-cr-00038 (RJL) (D.D.C. 2019).

• Date Filed
• 02/07/2019

• Filed Under Seal
• Yes

• Date Case Was Unsealed
• 05/24/2021
  

• FCPA Statutory Provision

• Other Statutory Provision
• Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; Concealment Money Laundering.

• Disposition
• Pending, Pending

• Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
• Territorial Jurisdiction, Conspiracy

• Defendant's Citizenship
• Chad

• Individual Sanction
• Pending. 

Nouracham B. Niam

• Citation
• United States v. Tyab, Bechir, Takane, & Niam, No. 1:19-cr-00038 (RJL) (D.D.C. 2019).

• Date Filed
• 02/07/2019

• Filed Under Seal
• Yes

• Date Case Was Unsealed
• 05/24/2021
  

• FCPA Statutory Provision

• Other Statutory Provision
• Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; Concealment Money Laundering.

• Disposition
• Pending, Pending

• Defendant Jurisdictional Basis
• Territorial Jurisdiction, Conspiracy

• Defendant's Citizenship
• Chad

• Individual Sanction
• Pending.