Siemens Suspends Employees in Ongoing Corruption Probe
 30th NOV 2006

German engineering giant, Siemens, said on Tuesday it had suspended a number of employees in the ongoing corruption probe as evidence appeared to harden that they might have been involved in possible wrongdoing.

Several employees had been relieved of their duties and temporarily suspended, after an ombudsman found there was ”sufficient suspicion” of possible wrongdoing, a Siemens spokesman said.

He refused to say exactly how many employees had been suspended.

In the ongoing Siemens probe, prosecutors are investigating the alleged existence of overseas slush funds containing about 200m euros ($260m), allegedly used to pay bribes to obtain big contracts.

A total of seven current and former Siemens employees have so far, been arrested in the investigation, with six still held in custody.

Press reports have even suggested that the scandal might have involved the payment of massive bribes to the regime of late Nigerian Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

Last week, Siemens promised to get tough on wrongdoers and immediately suspend any employees where suspicions of illegal behaviour had hardened.

”We have to relentlessly clarify and punish irregularities. Employees who violate our compliance regulations hurt Siemens in every respect. We cannot tolerate,” said chief executive, Klaus Kleinfeld.

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