Chinese police have charged the former head of drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline in China with corruption.
Mark Reilly, who is British, along with two of the company’s Chinese executives, Zhang Guowei and Zhao Hongyan, are accused of running a scheme to bribe doctors and hospitals so they would buy medicines from GlaxoSmithKline.
They are also reportedly suspected of bribing officials in the industry and commerce departments of Beijing and Shanghai.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison in the case of bribery.
The company, at its headquarters in London, said the case was “deeply concerning” adding it “has zero tolerance for bribery “ and wanted to “reach a resolution”.
Since the bribery scandal, GSK has announced an overhaul of its sales and marketing practices worldwide in a bid to prevent future wrongdoing.
It also faces corruption allegations in other countries and is investigating claims that bribes were paid to doctors in Poland, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.
with Reuters
