20091209

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss logistics group Panalpina said on Wednesday it was close to reaching a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) to settle a probe into its activities in Nigeria and West Africa.

Panalpina had entered settlement talks last week and had already decided to close its organisation in Nigeria and restructure its business units in West Africa, it said.

The company said the probe was in connection to alleged infringements of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and it was coordinating with the DoJ to ensure its practices in West Africa complied with the act.

"In the context of numerous initiatives to strengthen and expand compliance on a global level, Panalpina's compliance department has played an active role in recognising critical aspects of the investigation," the company said in a statement.