Uber facing Asia bribery allegations amid US probe

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Uber Technologies Inc, which is the subject of a US federal probe into whether it broke bribery laws, has started a review of its Asia operations and notified US officials about payments made by staff in Indonesia, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Bloomberg report was accurate.

Uber said in August it was cooperating with a preliminary investigation led by the US Department of Justice into whether company managers violated US laws against bribery of foreign officials, specifically the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

An Uber sign is seen in a car in New York, the US on June 30, 2015. /VCG Photo

Uber hired the law firm of O‘Melveny & Myers LLP to investigate how it obtained the medical records of an Indian woman who was raped by an Uber driver in 2014, Reuters reported in June.

O'Melveny & Myers is now examining records of foreign payments and interviewing employees, raising questions about why some potentially problematic business dealings were not disclosed sooner, Bloomberg said on Tuesday.

Attorneys are focused on suspicious activity in at least five Asian countries: China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea, Bloomberg said, adding that Uber’s law firm is reviewing financial arrangements tied to the Malaysian government that may have influenced lawmakers there.

Uber and the DoJ could not immediately be reached for comment.

Source(s): Reuters