Closed at the behest of the Misdemeanors Board. Novartis case regarding company executives accused of bribing politicians and doctors.

At the same time, however, doctors who were checked by the financial prosecutor’s office face criminal liability as they appear to have received money to prescribe the company’s drugs.

In a ruling more than seven years after the commencement of a legal investigation into the activities of the pharmaceutical industry, the judges of the Council decided that the then head of the Greek division of the company Konstantinos FrouzisProfessor Nikos Maniadakis and their three co-defendants, executives of parent company Novartis, did not commit an act of joint bribery in succession and direct cooperation in the crime in question “against 10 political individuals under investigation for committing passive acts under their direction. of bribery, either as suspects or accused.”

In ruling No. 764/2023, the judges ordered the acquittal of former Novartis Hellas chief executive Konstantinos Fruzis, Nikos Maniadakis and their three co-defendants, who held senior positions at Novartis parent company, after ruling that no evidence of action attributed to them and related to allegations of bribery:

a) António Samaras, who served as Prime Minister from 20 June 2012 to 01 June 2015

b) Panagiotis Pikramenou, Acting Prime Minister from May 16, 2012 to June 20, 2012

c) Andreas Licurentsou, Minister of Health from 21 June 2012 to 25 June 2013

d) Mario Salma, who served as Deputy Minister of Health from June 22, 2012 to June 23, 2013.

e) Ioannis Sturnara, Minister of Finance from July 5, 2012 to October 6, 2014.

f) Evangelo Venizelou, who served as Minister of National Defense from 7 October 2009 to 17 June 2011, Minister of Finance from 17 June 2011 to 21 March 2012 and Deputy Prime Minister from 25 June 2013 to 25-1-2015

g) Georgiou Koutrumanis, who served as Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security and then Minister in the same ministry from September 2010 to May 2012.

h) Adonis-Spyridon Georgiadis, who served as Minister of Health and Social Solidarity from 25.06.2013 to 10.06.2014.

i) Dimitriou Avramopoulos, Minister of Health and Social Solidarity from 15 February 2006 to 7 October 2009

I) Andreas Loverdu, Minister of Health and Social Solidarity from 7 September 2010 to 17 May 2012.”

The same will states that five company defendants are also acquitted of the offense of bribery of non-political persons, since with the change of the Criminal Code (2019) this is a misdemeanor and now the statute of limitations has expired due to the expiration of 5 years..

However, regarding doctors who allegedly received a bribe for promoting the company’s products, the financial prosecutor conducting the investigation, by order of the prosecutor’s office of first instance, requests criminal liability under the article “passive bribery” (bribery). and the laundering of illicit money against 15 doctors identified as a result of ongoing investigations. The Financial Prosecutor’s Office is also investigating other doctors who appear to be involved in the case.

Source: RES-IPE