US Guilty of Pushing Coke in Japan

[Mulboyne]

Bloomberg: Coca Cola Co. Settles SEC Antifraud Allegations
April 18 (Bloomberg) -- Coca-Cola Co., the world's largest soft-drink maker, settled a U.S. regulatory complaint that accused it of urging Japanese bottlers to make extra purchases without disclosing the revenue-boosting practice to investors. The Atlanta-based company settled the allegations without admitting or denying wrongdoing, the SEC said today in legal documents. Coca-Cola was accused of "channel stuffing" or "gallon pushing" in Japan at or near the end of each reporting period between 1997 and 1999 to meet earnings targets. "They were basically robbing from their future earnings," SEC lawyer Kit Addleman said. "There would have been no fraud had they made a disclosure of that practice."

[bunchoffuckinggoofs]

That last line in there says it all.