U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Litigation Release No. 20334 / October 16, 2007
SEC v. Gioacchino De Chirico, Civil Action File No. 1:07-CV-2367-HTW (NDGA)
Final Judgment Entered Against Officer of Immucor, Inc.
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that on October 2, 2007, the Honorable Horace T. Ward, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, entered a Final Judgment As To Defendant Gioacchino De Chirico, Chief Executive Officer of Immucor, Inc., ordering him to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $30,000. The Commission's complaint alleged that De Chirico violated Section 13(b)(5) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and Rule 13b2-1 thereunder, and aided and abetted violations of Sections 13(b)(2)(A) and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act. De Chirico consented to the entry of the judgment without admitting or denying the allegations of the Commission's complaint.
The Commission's complaint, filed on September 28, 2007, alleged that in April 2004, Immucor paid â¬13,500 (Euros) to the director of a public hospital in Milan, Italy as a quid pro quo for the hospital director favoring Immucor in selecting contracts for supplies and equipment. The complaint further alleged that De Chirico approved an invoice that falsely described the â¬13,500 payment as a consulting fee for services in connection with opportunities in Switzerland, which De Chirico knew the hospital director had never performed.
See also: L.R. 20316 (September 28, 2007).