Carrefour has confirmed it has uncovered malpractice among its management in China amid reports that eight managers have been arrested for allegedly accepting bribes.
The French retail giant was speaking after reports in China that local police had detained eight Carrefour procurement managers under allegations that they took bribes from food suppliers.
Carrefour’s China spokesman today (29 August) confirmed that it had “recently discovered the existence of practices in contradiction with Chinese law and trade laws”. The company is working closely with Chinese authorities to shed light on the corruption.
“Carrefour China’s management wishes to underline that the cases are isolated,” spokesman Chen Bo told just-food. “Carrefour strongly condemns all kinds of actions of this type and seeks to promote rigorous ethics.”
The spokesman said no further information is being communicated while the investigation is ongoing.
According to Shanghai Securities News, Carrefour had reported the managers to police after uncovering the bribery in an internal probe. The corrupt employees based at the Beijing procurement centre and seven other locations demanded promotional fees from fresh produce suppliers, according to the report.
