US releases docs on Wal-Mart bribery charges

US lawmakers have released emails that show Wal-Mart's top leadership was aware of allegations of bribery in its Mexico operations as early as 2005 but the global retail giant said it has provided this information to law enforcement authorities as part of investigation into the bribery allegations.

Congressman Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Henry Waxman from California, who are investigating bribery charges at Wal-Mart's Mexico unit, announced on Thursday they had documents which confirmed that Wal-Mart CEO Michael Duke and other high-ranking personnel were personally informed about the bribery allegations as early as October 2005.

Wal-Mart is also facing allegations of bribery in its operations in India, China and Brazil and the retailer had said last November that it was broadening its investigation to look into these allegations.

The emails indicate that Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke and other top company officials had been informed as early as 2005 about bribes being made in the Mexico. "It would be a serious matter if the CEO of one of our nation's largest companies failed to address allegations of a bribery scheme," Waxman and Cummings said in a letter written to Duke.

The company refuted claims made by the Congressmen saying that the information released in the emails was nothing new and had been provided by Wal-Mart to the investigating authorities.

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