Diageo submits financial documents in Delhi police investigation, source says
By Aditya Kalra
NEW DELHI, Aug 18 (Reuters) -Spirits group Diageo's DGE.L Indian unit has submitted financial documents sought by New Delhi anti-corruption police in an investigation related to billing and discount practices involving city agencies, a source familiar with the matter said.
Hina Nagarajan, the CEO of Diageo's Indian unit, United Spirits UNSP.NS, was summoned to appear before New Delhi police on July 26 in the case that relates to company's supply of liquor to government agencies running alcohol shops and payments received from the city between 2017 and 2020.
Nagarajan, who is also a member of Diageo's global executive committee, was asked to appear in person or through company representatives and to provide several documents related to company sales.
Nagarajan did not appear before police but after the July notice, Diageo through company representatives submitted many documents that were sought from the three-year period, said the source, who declined to be named due to a lack of authority to speak to media.
The documents submitted included certain bank statements, records of financial dealings with the Delhi city agencies to which liquor was supplied and some agreements signed with them, the source added.
Diageo India and Delhi anti-corruption police did not respond to repeated requests for comments from Reuters.
The company has previously called the Delhi case a "routine information and fact-finding exercise" and said it was cooperating with the authorities. The company added it believed police notices may have been sent to other manufacturers.
The Delhi investigation concerns how companies like Diageo India supplied liquor to government-run shops, and how those agencies sometimes offered early payments to suppliers that offered discounts, Reuters reported last month.
Police are investigating whether there was any wrongdoing in this process and if discounts given by companies were in line with liquor laws. Police had called the Diageo India CEO as a witness in the matter.
New Delhi city rules mandate all liquor retail shops to be run only by government agencies.
The Indian capital is a major market for premium liquor brands, more so for Diageo as its main rival, France's Pernod Ricard PERP.PA, has been unable to retail its products since late 2022 due to allegations of wrongdoing it faces in another investigation.
Euromonitor estimates Diageo, the world's biggest spirits maker which sells Johnnie Walker scotch whisky and Smirnoff vodka, is also India's largest with a 19% market share by volume in the $35 billion market.
Reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Jamie Freed
면책조항: XM Group 회사는 체결 전용 서비스와 온라인 거래 플랫폼에 대한 접근을 제공하여, 개인이 웹사이트에서 또는 웹사이트를 통해 이용 가능한 콘텐츠를 보거나 사용할 수 있도록 허용합니다. 이에 대해 변경하거나 확장할 의도는 없습니다. 이러한 접근 및 사용에는 다음 사항이 항상 적용됩니다: (i) 이용 약관, (ii) 위험 경고, (iii) 완전 면책조항. 따라서, 이러한 콘텐츠는 일반적인 정보에 불과합니다. 특히, 온라인 거래 플랫폼의 콘텐츠는 금융 시장에서의 거래에 대한 권유나 제안이 아닙니다. 금융 시장에서의 거래는 자본에 상당한 위험을 수반합니다.
온라인 거래 플랫폼에 공개된 모든 자료는 교육/정보 목적으로만 제공되며, 금융, 투자세 또는 거래 조언 및 권고, 거래 가격 기록, 금융 상품 또는 원치 않는 금융 프로모션의 거래 제안 또는 권유를 포함하지 않으며, 포함해서도 안됩니다.
이 웹사이트에 포함된 모든 의견, 뉴스, 리서치, 분석, 가격, 기타 정보 또는 제3자 사이트에 대한 링크와 같이 XM이 준비하는 콘텐츠 뿐만 아니라, 제3자 콘텐츠는 일반 시장 논평으로서 "현재" 기준으로 제공되며, 투자 조언으로 여겨지지 않습니다. 모든 콘텐츠가 투자 리서치로 해석되는 경우, 투자 리서치의 독립성을 촉진하기 위해 고안된 법적 요건에 따라 콘텐츠가 의도되지 않았으며, 준비되지 않았다는 점을 인지하고 동의해야 합니다. 따라서, 관련 법률 및 규정에 따른 마케팅 커뮤니케이션이라고 간주됩니다. 여기에서 접근할 수 있는 앞서 언급한 정보에 대한 비독립 투자 리서치 및 위험 경고 알림을 읽고, 이해하시기 바랍니다.