Once a Crook
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Once a Crook
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Russian police search Novartis
MOSCOW, July 5 (Reuters) - Russian police on Tuesday searched the offices of four pharmaceutical companies in Moscow, including Swiss drug maker Novartis AG and Israel-based Teva .
The website of business daily Vedomosti quoted a police source as saying the searches were carried out as part of an investigation into an alleged carve-up of the market for supplying the state healthcare system with essential drugs by major distributors.
The government runs a system of subsidised purchases of drugs for low-income citizens. An investigation into the system showed that the bulk of state supply contracts worth over $2 billion went to six distribution firms in 2006-08.
A Novartis spokeswoman in Moscow confirmed the search took place and said the company was cooperating with the police.
MOSCOW, July 5 (Reuters) - Russian police on Tuesday searched the offices of four pharmaceutical companies in Moscow, including Swiss drug maker Novartis AG and Israel-based Teva .
The website of business daily Vedomosti quoted a police source as saying the searches were carried out as part of an investigation into an alleged carve-up of the market for supplying the state healthcare system with essential drugs by major distributors.
The government runs a system of subsidised purchases of drugs for low-income citizens. An investigation into the system showed that the bulk of state supply contracts worth over $2 billion went to six distribution firms in 2006-08.
A Novartis spokeswoman in Moscow confirmed the search took place and said the company was cooperating with the police.