▁viol ations ▁only ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁when ▁S iem ens ▁started ▁s elling ▁shares ▁in ▁a ▁US ▁stock ▁exchange . ▁ ▁The ▁investig ators ▁found ▁that ▁b rib ing ▁officials ▁to ▁win ▁contract s ▁was ▁standard ▁operating ▁procedure . ▁ ▁Over ▁that ▁time ▁period ▁the ▁company ▁paid ▁around ▁$ 1 . 3 ▁billion ▁in ▁b rib es ▁in ▁many ▁countries ▁and ▁kept ▁separate ▁books ▁to ▁hide ▁them . ▁ ▁F ines ▁were ▁anticip ated ▁to ▁be ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁$ 5 ▁billion ▁as ▁the ▁investigation ▁unfold ed . ▁ ▁S ett lement ▁negoti ations ▁took ▁place ▁through ▁most ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁and ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁announced ▁in ▁December ▁they ▁were ▁far ▁less , ▁driven ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁S iem ens ' ▁co operation , ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁the ▁im min ent ▁change ▁in ▁US ▁administr ations ▁( the ▁Ob ama ▁administration ▁was ▁about ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁from ▁the ▁Bush ▁administration ), ▁and ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁the ▁dependence ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁military ▁on ▁S iem ens ▁as ▁a ▁contract or . ▁ ▁The ▁company ▁paid ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁about ▁$ 1 . 6 ▁billion , ▁around ▁$ 8 0 0 ▁million ▁in ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁Germany . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁b ri ber y ▁fine ▁in ▁history , ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁money ▁paid ▁to ▁Germany ▁included ▁a ▁$ 2 7 0 ▁million ▁fine ▁paid ▁the ▁year ▁before ▁( related ▁to ▁b rib es ▁in ▁Niger ia ). ▁ ▁The ▁US