China accuses UK executive in GlaxoSmithKline bribery probe
Chinese authorities have accused three GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) executives of ordering employees to bribe doctors, hospitals and medical associations, allegedly making billions of yuan in “illegal revenue”.
Mark Reilly, a British national and former head of GSK in China, along with two colleagues, is alleged to have had a hand in setting up and growing the sales departments that offered the bribes.
The case has now been passed from police onto prosecutors, officials have said. The former have accused Reilly of running a “massive bribery network”.
The Chinese probe of GSK, which was announced last July, has dented the drugs firm’s sales in the country. The allegations against Reilly are the first time the Chinese government’s laid out specific allegations against a foreign member of staff in the investigation.
Today’s announcement will come as something of a blow for Prime Minister David Cameron, who used his trade visit to China last year to voice his support of GSK.
GSK has said it’s cooperating with the Chinese authorities.