The Glaxo-China Bribery Scandal: A New Policeman Walks the Beat
July 25, 2013 | The Insider: White Collar Defense and Securities Enforcement
When it comes to allegations of foreign bribery, what a difference a week can make. Just over ten days ago, a new player in the world of international bribery – the Chinese Ministry of Public Security – announced that it was investigating senior executives in the Chinese division of British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline for allegedly offering bribes to officials and doctors in order to boost company sales. GSK responded at the time with the respect and deference that one would anticipate, stating that it takes “all allegations of bribery and corruption seriously” and that it would fully cooperate with the Chinese authorities. Regarding the merits of the allegations, however, GSK stated that the company had already conducted an investigation and “found no evidence of bribery or corruption of doctors or government officials.” [...]