Greece's justice minister on Friday said Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis had likely bribed "thousands" of doctors and civil servants to promote its products, amid an ongoing probe.
"A great number of state officials are implicated... from what I'm beginning to realise from reports, it must be thousands who were directly bribed from Switzerland," Stavros Kontonis told state agency ANA radio.
"National health service doctors and state officials were bribed to promote drugs in an illegal and anti-scientific manner," Kontonis said.
Scores of people have been questioned in a probe ongoing since last year, with anti-corruption prosecutors also visiting Novartis's premises near Athens earlier this year to gather evidence.
The case gained attention following a suicide attempt in Athens on New Year's Day, by a Novartis manager. Full story...
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"A great number of state officials are implicated... from what I'm beginning to realise from reports, it must be thousands who were directly bribed from Switzerland," Stavros Kontonis told state agency ANA radio.
"National health service doctors and state officials were bribed to promote drugs in an illegal and anti-scientific manner," Kontonis said.
Scores of people have been questioned in a probe ongoing since last year, with anti-corruption prosecutors also visiting Novartis's premises near Athens earlier this year to gather evidence.
The case gained attention following a suicide attempt in Athens on New Year's Day, by a Novartis manager. Full story...
Related posts:
- Novartis in hot water over South Korea violations...
- Italy suspends Novartis vaccine after three persons die...
- Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline bribed doctors to boost sales...
- Top Novartis senior managers quit in Japan fraud scandal...
- Japan to file criminal action against Novartis...
- Novartis eye care unit hit by China bribery claims...
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