Chinese police hand GSK bribery case to prosecutors

Chinese police have concluded their investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) China. A spokesperson from the company’s UK office confirmed that the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has passed the case to the Changsha People’s Procurator in Hunan province for review.

The Chinese state news agency Xinhua has released details of the police investigation, claiming that 46 suspects are involved including Mark Reilly, former manager of GSK China. The investigation alleges that Reilly ordered staff to bribe hospitals, doctors and other medical institutions and organisations to enable them to meet ambitious sales targets. It also implicates GSK China staff in deliberately inflating prices relative to other countries, and disguising illegal revenue.

In a statement, GSK said that it was taking the allegations very seriously and would continue to cooperate with the authorities. ‘We want to reach a resolution that will enable the company to continue to make an important contribution to the health and welfare of China and its citizens.’