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77 oncologists are criminally investigated for bribery
According to the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA), 77 oncologists from Bucharest and other seven counties are criminally investigated for bribery, informs on Monday DNA.
Thus, the criminal investigation against ‘ a commercial company with activity of import, distribution and promotion of pharma products for the crime of bribery,; ; four representatives with positions of leadership in the respective company for the crime of bribery’ and ‘ 77 oncologists for the crime of bribery’.
The investigators consider that ‘ with the help of the medical representatives, the four suspects from the management of the company sent to several oncologists the invitation to take part in the third Asian congress for breast cancer which was to take place in Bangalore, India between 3-4 March 2012. Finally, 77 oncologists accepted the invitation, some of them being accompanied by other members of the family.
For the participation to the congress of the 77 doctors, the company paid to a tourism company the sum of 520,607,95 euro (the equivalent of 2,312,670,7 lei)out of which the sum representing bribery was 416,864,1 euro’.
To cover the bribery in this case, a number of 77 contracts for sponsorship were signed, which show aspects which do not correspond to the reality with regard to the purpose and the sums offered as sponsorship.
At the same time, ‘ the ordnance for the criminal investigation the fact is shown that although the congress took place between 3-4 March 2012 in Bangalore, India, the doctors went to India between 28 February – 09 March 2012, being hosted in several hotels in New Delhi, India, over 2,000 km away from the congress venue’.
‘The fact that the scientific event in Bangalore was just a pretext, a way of hiding the holliday offered by the commercial company to the doctors so that, according to their office attributions they should direct the patients to the oncological generic products of the company is obvious and as such, the participation to the congress was not the main purpose’ the press release mentions.