Witness testimony placed before the Greek parliament in 2018 alleged that Novartis bribed ten Greek politicians, including two former prime ministers.

Why this label

No record read for this review supports the allegation. Parliament voted in February 2018 to form an inquiry into ten politicians, who all rejected the accusations^S3. The US resolutions concern payments to health care providers and hospital staff, not politicians^S1S2. The files on all ten were later closed without charges^S8. The closures read for this review rest on a lack of sufficient evidence^S7S8. That is not a finding that the allegation was false. The false accusation convictions of two former witnesses, upheld on 13 January 2026, concern accusations against four of the ten^S6. Some counts, including ones on a fifth politician, were discontinued^S6. The record contradicts the allegation for four of the ten but does not settle it for all ten.

Current procedural position

Files on all ten closed without charges by August 2022, the last by a ruling of the Athens misdemeanours judicial council for lack of sufficient evidence^S8. Two former protected witnesses convicted of false accusation at first instance in September 2025^S5 and at second instance on 13 January 2026^S6. No open investigation of any of the ten and no referral of any of them to the Special Court was found. Cassation status not established as of October 2026.

Evidence score: 59 of 100

The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Novartis AG. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.

Timeline

1. 22 February 2018Greek parliament votes to form an inquiry into ten politicians^S3
2. 25 June 2020US resolutions describe payments to health care providers, not politicians^S1S2
3. 24 January 2022Report that prosecutors archived two of the files for lack of sufficient evidence^S7
4. 9 August 2022Judicial council closes the last of the ten files for lack of sufficient evidence^S8
5. 13 January 2026Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens upholds the former witnesses' convictions^S6

Related cases

• Greek prosecution of two former protected witnesses in the Novartis caseThree-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens (Trimeles Plimmeleiodikeio Athinon), sitting at second instance. Criminal. Not published.Stage: Convictions upheld at second instance on 13 January 2026. Cassation status not established.
  • September 2025 Single-member misdemeanours court of Athens convicts, with suspended terms of 25 and 33 months^S5S9
  • 13 January 2026 Convictions for false testimony and false accusation upheld, some counts discontinued, suspended terms of 25 and 28 months^S6

Revision history

• 25 October 2026 Assessment first published with label Unresolved.

Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.

Sources

1. S7Tier C Υπόθεση Novartis: To σκεπτικό της απόφασης για τα αρχειοθετηθούν οι δικογραφίες που αφορούν Γεωργιάδη και ΑβραμόπουλοProto Thema (Vasiliki Kokkali). Press report. 24 January 2022.Reports that prosecutors archived two files for lack of sufficient evidence. It is not a finding that the accusations were false.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
2. S8Tier C Δικαιώθηκε με ομόφωνο βούλευμα ο Ανδρέας Λοβέρδος για την υπόθεση της NovartisNewmoney. Press report. 10 August 2022.Newsroom report of a judicial council ruling closing the last of the ten files for lack of sufficient evidence. The ground matches S7.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
3. S6Tier C Υπόθεση Novartis: Ποινές φυλάκισης με αναστολή, 25 μήνες στον Δεστεμπασίδη και 28 στην ΜαραγγέληProto Thema (Vasiliki Kokkali). Press report. 13 January 2026.Updated report naming the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens, the persons covered by each conviction, the discontinued counts and the final terms. It is not the judgment.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
4. S9Tier C Novartis: Την ενοχή Μαραγγέλη και Δεστεμπασίδη για ψευδή κατάθεση προτείνει η εισαγγελέαςSKAI (Elena Galari). Press report. 27 August 2025.Report of the first-instance prosecutor's proposal at the single-member misdemeanours court. It shows that court did not try the bribery allegations.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
5. S4Tier C Protected Witnesses Found Guilty in Greece's Novartis TrialTo Vima. Press report. 13 January 2026.Newsroom report on the appeal ruling. It calls the court the Athens Court of Appeal, which is less exact than S6, and gives terms of 25 and 28 months.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
6. S5Tier C Novartis case: Guilty verdict upheld on appeal for Destebasidis and MaraggelisProto Thema. Press report. 13 January 2026.Newsroom report on the second-instance verdict, quoting the prosecutor. Written before sentencing, it gives the first-instance terms of 25 and 33 months.
7. S3Tier C Greek parliament agrees to probe Novartis scandalAnadolu Agency. Press report. 22 February 2018.Report by Furkan Naci Top on the parliamentary vote and the denials. It reports allegations, not findings.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
8. S1Tier A Novartis Hellas S.A.C.I. and Alcon Pte Ltd Agree to Pay over $233 Million Combined to Resolve Criminal FCPA CasesUS Department of Justice. Regulator press release. 25 June 2020.Supports the DPAs, the penalties and the hospital payment scheme. It names no Greek officials.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
9. S2Tier B Novartis Resolves Legacy FCPA InvestigationsNovartis AG. Company statement. 25 June 2020.Company account giving USD 233.9 million to the DOJ and USD 112.8 million to the SEC. Its view of its internal probe is not independently checked.Link working, checked 25 October 2026

Other claims about Novartis AG

• Supported87
  The US Justice Department said in June 2020 that Novartis Hellas conspired to bribe employees of state-owned and state-controlled hospitals and clinics in Greece.
  Regulator statement, 25 June 20203 records citedBribery
• Supported83
  Novartis said in June 2020 that its US resolutions contained no allegations of bribery of Greek politicians, in line with its own internal investigation.
  Company statement, 25 June 20202 records citedBribery