According to the Wall Street Journal, GlaxoSmithKline PLC received an anonymous email claiming that its employees in Syria bribed doctors and pharmacists over the past five years. The bribes may have been paid to promote products including the painkiller Panadol and toothpaste Sensodyne and took the form of cash payments, speaking fees, trips, free dinners and free samples, the email claims, giving names and dates.
The Syria email follows allegations of bribes paid by Glaxo in China, Iraq, Jordan, Lebabon and Poland in the past 12 months.
The email apparently details that doctors were paid $2500 in cash and Syrian health officies may have been bribed to push through registration of certain products.
Glaxo is investigating.
It is illegal for companies with significant U.S. operations to bribe foreign officials in exchange for business.
Jeff Newman represents whistleblowers.
