Novartis AG

In February 2018 the Greek parliament voted to set up an inquiry into ten politicians after witness accounts alleged Novartis bribes^S3. The politicians denied the claims^S3. On 25 June 2020 the US Justice Department announced deferred prosecution agreements with Novartis Hellas and Alcon Pte Ltd, with more than US$233 million in criminal penalties^S1. Novartis said the resolutions contained no allegation of bribing Greek politicians^S2. Greek files on the ten were closed, in the cases read for lack of sufficient evidence^S7^S8. Two former protected witnesses were convicted of false accusation. The Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens upheld that on 13 January 2026 with suspended terms of 25 and 28 months^S6.

Also known as: Novartis, Novartis Hellas S.A.C.I.
Headquarters: Switzerland
Records from: United States, Greece
Current status: Operating pharmaceutical group based in Basel^S2. Its Greek subsidiary Novartis Hellas entered a deferred prosecution agreement with the US Justice Department on 25 June 2020^S1. In Greece, the files on the ten politicians named in 2018 were closed without charges by August 2022^S8. Two former protected witnesses were convicted of false accusation, and the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens upheld the convictions on 13 January 2026^S6.

Scope. This record covers the Greek bribery allegations and the June 2020 US FCPA resolutions. It does not cover Novartis US kickback cases, the Sandoz spin-off or Alcon as a separate company beyond its 2020 Vietnam resolution.

Claims assessed

3 claims. Scores grade the evidence for each claim, not the organization.

Unresolved59
Witness testimony placed before the Greek parliament in 2018 alleged that Novartis bribed ten Greek politicians, including two former prime ministers.
Press report, 22 February 20188 records citedBribery
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

Cases and proceedings

United States v. Novartis Hellas S.A.C.I.US Department of Justice, with informations filed in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey. Criminal. Not published in the release read.Stage: Deferred prosecution agreement. No breach found in this review.
- 25 June 2020 DPA with a US$225 million criminal penalty for Novartis Hellas, and an approximately US$8.9 million penalty for Alcon Pte Ltd over Vietnam^S1
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^S5^S9
- 13 January 2026 Convictions for false testimony and false accusation upheld, some counts discontinued, suspended terms of 25 and 28 months^S6

Responses on record

Novartis AG, 25 June 2020, on The US Justice Department said in June 2020 that Novartis Hellas conspired to bribe employ...
Novartis described the matters as legacy compliance issues and said it had fully cooperated with the investigations.^S2

Revision history

25 October 2026 Profile and 3 assessments first published. Records checked to 25 October 2026.

Source records

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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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