Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

HP's Moscow Offices Raided In Bribery Probe

Posted by Soulskill on from the hey-those-printer-cartridges-are-expensive dept.

FrankPoole writes "Hewlett-Packard's Moscow offices were raided Wednesday as part of a bribery investigation by Russian and German authorities. The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal [currently paywalled; Reuters also covered it], which wrote that HP is suspected of allegedly paying out nearly $11 million in bribes to secure a major Russian government contract several years ago via a German subsidiary. Ironically, the contract was with the Prosecutor General's office of the Russian Federation, which will now play a role in investigating HP. While HP knew of the investigation as far back as December, the company did not disclose the information in any SEC filings. Instead, in its most recent quarterly report, HP states that in foreign nations 'it is common to engage in business practices that are prohibited by laws and regulations.'"

1 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. Bribes are an everyday part of business at times. by Neuroticwhine · · Score: 5, Insightful

    While i didnt RTFA, but just to focus in on one aspect of the summary,
    "HP states that in foreign nations 'it is common to engage in business practices that are prohibited by laws and regulations.'"

    While they may have been wrong in this situation, the statement itself is very true; After spending some time in china for instance, bribery is certainly prevalent. Also when we examine the US system, with lobbyists and contributions... is it really that different?