Ikea turned a blind eye to Russia bribery
Two top ranking managers in IKEA were fired by the company for turning a blind eye to a bribery case involving St. Petersburg’s Mega IKEA shopping mall.
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The company fired the director of IKEA for Central and Eastern Europe and IKEA’s director for real estate in Russia, Interfax reported. IKEA is currently investigating the circumstances of the incident, the news agency reported.
“We are deeply upset and disappointed,” Michael Olsson, president of IKEA, wrote in the company’s statement. “Any tolerance of a display of corruption is completely unacceptable for IKEA. We consider the situation to be deplorable, and we’ll be acting promptly and resolutely.”
Nina Oding, senior economist at St. Petersburg’s Leontief Center for Social and Economic Research, acclaimed the firm’s move in this matter.
Last year, IKEA said it had temporarily stopped investing in Russian projects due to “the unpredictable nature of administrative procedures in some regions.”
One of the main reasons for freezing further investment in the country was a delay in opening IKEA’s trade center in Samara due to the problems with permission documentation.
In Russia, IKEA has 13 stores and 13 Mega retail centers. The first IKEA store in Russia opened in 2000.
Last Updated (Friday, 19 February 2010 08:59)
