GENEVA: Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged corruption by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis, the Anatolia news agency said here the other day.
The probe follows reports in the Turkish press which alleged Novartis paid bribes of $85 million (75 million euros) via a consulting company to representatives of the Turkish health ministry in order to “unfairly acquire a market share”.
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Contacted by AFP, Novartis said it had no comment on the report. But it said a previous probe into Novartis in Turkey, sparked by a complaint by a whistleblower, was dropped by Turkish authorities after
Novartis’s own internal investigation in 2014 found no wrongdoing.
The drugmaker said last week it had reached a deal with US authorities to pay $25 million (22.4 million euros) to settle claims that its Chinese units bribed healthcare professionals to boost sales.
And the US last year fined the group $390 million for granting kickbacks to pharmacies that recommended the company’s drugs.
