FT:
If this isn't a set-up, GSK people are remarkably stupid
Chinese police have accused GlaxoSmithKline of being the “ringleader” in a bribery scandal involving 700 companies and deals worth as much as half a billion dollars.
In a rare briefing to foreign media, Gao Feng, the lead Chinese investigator on a probe into the UK drugs group, said police were examining Rmb3bn in deals from as far back as 2007. He said Chinese police believe that GSK used travel agencies and consultancies as a conduit to bribe doctors and lawyers in order to boost sales and profits.
Four top GSK executives in China, all Chinese nationals, have been detained as part of the investigation, according to the Ministry of Public Security. Mr Gao said GSK’s top China executive, an English national, had left the country after the probe was announced and had not returned to China.
“We found that bribery is a core part of the activities of the company,” said Mr Gao. “To boost their prices and sales, the company performed illegal actions.”
