Russian Prosecutor General's Office ready to request U.S. information on bribing of high-ranking Russian health officials
MOSCOW. Dec 23 (Interfax) - The Russian Prosecutor General's Office will ask the United States to provide information on the alleged bribing of high-ranking Russian health officials by an Israeli pharmaceutical company, Prosecutor General's Office spokesman Alexander Kurennoi said.
"In the event of receiving a letter from the Russian Health Ministry the Russian Prosecutor General's Office is ready to turn to the U.S. authorities to obtain necessary information, which may subsequently be used by Russia for organizing relevant inquiries," Kurennoi told Interfax on Friday
Media reports said earlier on Friday that Russian Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova had ordered the preparation of a request to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office asking for clarifications via international legal cooperation channels and conducting a relevant inquiry into U.S. Department of Health information that a high-ranking Russian official had been bribed by Teva, an Israeli pharmaceutical firm.
"The request from the Russian health minister will be duly considered," the Prosecutor General's Office spokesman said.
According to the foreign press, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will pay the U.S. $519 million to settle the bribery accusations. Bribes were taken by officials in Russia, Mexico and Ukraine, who then allegedly helped the company to obtain licenses for selling medications and secure profitable orders.
Teva has operated in Russia since 1995 and has a factory in Yaroslavl. The company specializes in areas such as the central nervous system, pulmonology, oncology, viral infections, cardiology and others.