▁means ▁of ▁hiding ▁its ▁b ri ber y . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁investigation ▁opened ▁a ▁mid level ▁executive ▁in ▁the ▁tele communic ations ▁unit , ▁Rein hard ▁S lek ac zek , ▁was ▁identified ▁as ▁a ▁key ▁player ; ▁S lek ac zek ▁quit ▁S iem ens ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁after ▁the ▁company ▁required ▁him ▁to ▁sign ▁a ▁document ▁saying ▁he ▁had ▁followed ▁law ▁and ▁company ▁policy , ▁and ▁turned ▁state ' s ▁evidence ▁and ▁led ▁investig ators ▁to ▁documents ▁he ▁had ▁saved ▁and ▁to ▁other ▁documents . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁controlled ▁an ▁annual ▁global ▁b ri ber y ▁budget ▁of ▁$ 4 0 ▁to ▁$ 5 0 ▁million . ▁ ▁The ▁usual ▁method ▁of ▁b ri ber y ▁was ▁to ▁pay ▁a ▁local ▁ins ider ▁as ▁a ▁" cont ractor " ▁who ▁would ▁in ▁turn ▁pass ▁money ▁to ▁government ▁officials ; ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁settlement ▁S iem ens ▁dis closed ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁ 2 , 7 0 0 ▁such ▁contract ors ▁world wide . ▁ ▁B rib es ▁were ▁generally ▁around ▁ 5 % ▁of ▁a ▁contract ' s ▁value ▁but ▁in ▁very ▁cor rupt ▁countries ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁ 4 0 %. ▁ ▁It ▁paid ▁the ▁highest ▁b rib es ▁in ▁Argentina , ▁Israel , ▁Venezuela , ▁China , ▁Niger ia , ▁and ▁Russia . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁of ▁b ri ber y ▁the ▁investigation ▁found ▁included : ▁ ▁$ 4 0 ▁million ▁in ▁b rib es ▁in ▁Argentina ▁to ▁win ▁a ▁$