NEW DELHI: The Indian unit of Walmart has suspended its financial director and legal team as it investigates whether bribes were paid to advance its business, a report said on Friday.
The Economic Times daily, citing two unnamed people with knowledge of the investigation, said an auditing and legal team probing whether Walmart broke US bribery laws had ordered the director and four legal counsels to stay away.
"They want to investigate whether bribes were paid to government officials or not," the paper quoted a source as saying, adding that the five suspended employees were responsible for procuring government licences.
Walmart, which has a joint venture in India with Bharti Enterprises, has set up wholesale cash-and-carry stories in the country and is now gearing up to build its first supermarkets after new legislation opening the retail sector.
Walmart announced earlier this month that it was probing corruption allegations in Brazil, China and India in addition to ongoing US and Mexican government investigations.
The supermarket giant faces a separate government investigation in India over allegations that it broke foreign exchange laws and secretly invested $100 million in a local supermarket chain.
The spokesperson for Walmart's Indian joint venture did not return calls by AFP when contacted about the report. (AFP)
