China Deports British, American Investigators Linked To GSK Scandal
International Business Times
Published Jun 17, 2015 07:39AM ET
China Deports British, American Investigators Linked To GSK Scandal
By Reuters -
A British corporate sleuth and his American wife and business partner, both linked to a bribery scandal in China involving drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC, were deported on Wednesday after their jail terms were reduced this month.
Peter Humphrey and Yu Yingzeng left China at around midday (12 a.m. EDT) on a Virgin Atlantic flight bound for London, the couple's son, Harvey Humphrey, said in a message to Reuters sent via a family friend.
Peter Humphrey and Yu were sentenced in August last year for illegally obtaining private records of Chinese citizens and selling the information to clients including GSK, Britain's largest pharmaceutical firm.
"I am extremely glad that this ordeal will be over by this afternoon," the son said.
The elder Humphrey and Yu's sentences were both reduced this month. Humphrey was seven months away from completing a 2 1/2-year sentence, while Yu was originally set to be freed in July.
"A British national detained in China has been deported," said a British consulate spokesman who declined to identify the person.
"We are aware of the case and are providing consular assistance," he said.
According to Virgin Atlantic's website, flight VS251 from Shanghai will arrive at London's Heathrow Airport at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Humphrey and Yu's case unfolded alongside a Chinese investigation of GSK, which rocked the country's pharmaceutical market and led to a $489 million fine against the firm last year for paying bribes to doctors to use its drugs.
Humphrey and Yu, who ran risk consultancy ChinaWhys, had been asked by GSK to compile a report into the origins of a sex video involving the drug company's former China head, Mark Reilly, which had been sent to senior executives at GSK along with anonymous emails alleging corruption.
At the time, a GSK spokesman in London confirmed the video existed but did not comment on how it related to the alleged bribery scandal. He also said GSK had hired ChinaWhys to investigate the video.
Get The News You Want
Written By: International Business Times
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.