Former Alstom Executive’s Acquittal Poses Test for DOJ (1)

The acquittal of a former Alstom S.A. executive convicted on bribery charges complicates the Justice Department’s pursuit of foreign persons without a clear connection to the U.S.

A Connecticut federal judge on Wednesday cleared Lawrence Hoskins, a U.K. national, of his convictions for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, finding prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence at trial. The charges stem from Hoskins’ alleged involvement in bribing Indonesian government officials while working for the French power company.

The government’s case against Hoskins was narrowed prior to his 2019 trial after a federal appeals court found the FCPA didn’t cover foreign ...