Microsoft faces bribe allegations in Russia and Pakistan

Software giant Microsoft is facing bribery allegations in Russia and Pakistan. The firm said it is cooperating with the US government to investigate whether Microsoft employees and business partners have engaged in illegal activity in the two markets.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the US Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are extending existing investigations into similar allegations in China, Romania and Italy.

It reported that an anonymous tipster has now told Microsoft about its software resellers in Russia allegedly bribing executives of a state-owned firm to win a deal and in Pakistan it has been alleged that Microsoft authorised a consulting firm to pay for a five-day trip to Egypt for a government official and his wife in order to win a tender.

“We take every allegation seriously, and we cooperate fully in any government inquiries,” said John Frank,vice president and deputy general counsel at Microsoft.

“Like other large companies with operations around the world, we sometimes receive allegations about potential misconduct by employees or business partners, and we investigate them fully, regardless of the source. We also invest heavily in proactive training, monitoring and audits to ensure our business operations around the world meet the highest legal and ethical standards.”

Frank added that Microsoft has more than 50 people whose primary role is investigating potential breaches of company policy, and an additional 120 people whose primary role is compliance.

“This is a reflection of the size and complexity of our business, and the seriousness with which we take meeting our obligations,” he added.