Microsoft pays $25 million to end US probe into bribery overseas

Microsoft Corp. agreed to pay $25 million to settle US government investigations into alleged bribery by former employees in Hungary.

The software maker’s Hungarian subsidiary entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice and a cease-and-desist order with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Microsoft said in an email to employees from Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith that was posted Monday on the company’s web site. The case concerned violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to an SEC filing.