China Holds Coke Employee in Probe

Police are holding a former employee at a Chinese Coca-Cola bottling plant as part of a corruption investigation, according to a spokesperson for the firm. So far, the company has refused to give too many details, only releasing that the employee in question had worked at the Shanghai Shenmei Beverage & Food Co Ltd.
 
According to the Chinese language National Business Daily, the corruption case involves about $1.47 million, but Coca-Cola’s communication director, who has already released the current information regarding the case, would not comment on the amount of money involved. The employee, according to all reports, has been cooperating with police regarding the laws that may have been violated.
 
Coca-Cola employs 30,000 Chinese people in 38 bottling plants spread throughout the country. Today, Coca-Cola is China’s third-largest market, experiencing a 19 percent growth in 2008, meaning that any such corruption case involving Coca-Cola could have a significant impact on certain parts of China’s economy. 

Image: Flickr