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About 30 staff in GSK's vaccines business were
dismissed for bribing Chinese officials, the Financial Times
reported on Thursday, after they were found to be involved in
bribing Chinese officials and taking kickbacks.
The emergence of the scandal could put the operations of
Britain's largest pharmaceutical firm in China under even more
scrutiny.
U.S. and UK authorities are already investigating GSK for a much
bigger corruption scandal in China, involving what Chinese
police have said were elaborate schemes to bribe doctors and
hospitals.
GlaxoSmithKline said in a statement it had "zero tolerance" for
unethical behavior of any kind.
"We investigate any allegations put to us and take action where
necessary," the company said on Thursday.
"The specific matters occurred more than 12 years ago. We
believe appropriate investigation and action was taken at the
time."
Chinese police said in May they had charged the former British
boss of the drugmaker's China business, Mark Reilly, and other
colleagues with corruption.
U.S. authorities are investigating GlaxoSmithKline for
violations of U.S. anti-bribery laws in China following the
corruption accusations.
Britain's Serious Fraud Office has also launched a formal
criminal probe into the company.
(Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Jason Neely)
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