Glaxosmithkline China dismisses more than 100 over bribery scandal that cost company £300m
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has booted more than 100 staff in China on the back of its investigations into the corruption scandal that ended with it being fined £300m last year.
The company was found guilty last September of bribing doctors to prescribe its medicines, and began an internal investigation to ascertain the extent of the corruption. The results of the investigation have not been made public, but the Financial Times cites people familiar with the situation as saying that around 110 of 7,000 employees in China were involved, before mid 2013.
Although the fine levied on GSK in September ends proceedings in China, the company could still face fines from the UK’s Serious Fraud Office and the Department of Justice in the US.
Referring to the dismissals, GSK was unequivocal:
Based on the findings, we have taken disciplinary action against employees whose conduct contravened GSK’s values and code of conduct. We have zero tolerance for this kind of behaviour.
GSK has indicated that employee monitoring has been stepped up; expense claims are monitored more closely and private investigators have been employed to investigate its workings in China.