Monday, June 25, 2007

Pfizer's India Scandal Raises Questions in Mainstream Media

Business World has written a story about Pfizer's sale of the Hyderabad plant which I covered in the article series:

May 16, 2007: Pfizer Finance Executive Blows the Whistle - Part One
May 17, 2007: Pfizer Finance Executive Blows the Whistle – Part Two
May 18, 2007: Pfizer Finance Executive Blows the Whistle – Part Three

Click on images below to read full size article:


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

For those of us who are technologically retarded, I have to say that I liked the "thumbnail" attachments used in the original Pfizer/India scandal story where we could just click to enlarge rather than going through flickr. I've never used flickr or even heard of it and, although it's apparently serviced by yahoo and my e-mail account is through yahoo (and has been for years), and I signed up and registered for flickr, it tells me after I log in that I'm not authorized to view this image.

I'm guessing that there some other step that I'm supposed to take to become "authorized", but it doesn't say anywhere what I'm supposed to do anywhere in or around my flickr account while opened, and just gives me a bunch of stupid peoples' pictures of some guy messing with his eyes, some chick out on a canoe in the river, and other crap from people I don't even know who or what they are.

The only reason I signed up for this flickr account is to read this story, and others that I've noticed you've begun posting for us in small print that we can then only actually read now through flickr-- which I'm starting to feel means something similar sounding if I had anything to say about that service.

I could never open any of your streaming video/youtube stuff you posted when I only had dial-up service internet, and now I haven't been able to read several things you've posted because it's all processed now through flickr that I can't figure out how to read.

I don't know how many other readers are experiencing the same thing or if I'm the lone retard, but it does make me less prone to bother coming back to your site if I can't read what's there anyway.

This magazine article-- and others like it are publicly accessible in hard copy and the point of your blog is to get information to us as readers; so I know that there isn't some "privacy" "access denied" mentality on your part . . . I just don't know what this flickr deal's problem is with allowing us to view the "secret text" that is the whole value and excitement of your specific blog that actually tells it like it is.

--Frustrated and broken-hearted Reader

Peter Rost said...

Oooops. Didn't realize that. OK I have reposted and now you can simply click on image!

Thanks for feed-back so I could fix this!

Anonymous said...

Looks like this was a non-issue. Does this make you question all his other allegations?

Peter Rost said...

Anon, thanks for visiting us from Pfizer PR.

What kind of BS comment is that? You think they would've spent two pages on a non-issue article? Start reading between the lines. They have to do both sides of the story, and they wouldn't have done article if they thought it was a non-issue.

Second, the other allegations are supported by documents. So why the heck would I question if Pfizer hired private detectives when I have reams of detective reports?

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous #2:

I wouldn't call this a "non-issue" and I don't believe Pfizer would either or they would have had no need to retaliate with such fury the way they did against this well credentialed employee who had given 28 years of faithful quality service to the company. (That's a few more decades of faithful service than Mr. Jeffrey B. Kindler, by the way, even if we pretend that each of his few years at Pfizer have been faithful or quality years of service.) . . . unless you just believe that Pfizer 1)is REALLY stupid and careless, and 2)routinely decides to willy-nilly annihilate faithful life-long employees in direct contradiction of what they "assure" their investors of in the Blue Summary of Policies and Procedures booklet.

And if you do believe that, then you're a dumbass for either working for or investing in Pfizer because they would be both committing Securities Fraud in violation of federal securities law and dramatically increasing risk of litigation, which also will harm your investment, your pension if you work there, and the long-term outlook for your own job; which may not even be there if they decide you're the next willy-nilly victim of their "let's annihilate a different employee today" games.

No, this was NOT a non-issue, and Pfizer's Board Room doesn't think it is either. This employee/manager in India was not a random hit, but an intentional specified target no different than Jane Roe or Pfizer wouldn't have wasted the time, effort, resources, and risk to their international reputation by taking the harsh retaliatory measures they did. THAT would be stupid; which Pfizer is NOT. (They're corrupt, but they're not stupid, and that's why they've gotten away with so much for so long!)

You're either an idiot or a liar who could look at the sun at noon on a Summer day and profess that it isn't really shining, Anon #2. Good luck with that in your future. But you really should try reading the loads of documentation instead of just the Pfizer picture books and propoganda in the future-- it will give you a much more comprehensive understanding, I promise.

Thanks, Doc for reposting the article in a way that we can read it easier too-- without going through flickr.

I hope your weekend of Swedish festivities was enjoyable!


--Anon #1

Anonymous said...

Well, according to the article posted on this website the property was sold for higher than market rates. According to the Indian contact it was sold for one-tenth the value. So, it looks like that aspect was a non-issue. I am not sure what the guys credentials are, but maybe Dr. Rost can post them too. Most companies conduct annual written reviews so that would be a good thing to publish in order to tell how well credentialed this guy was. Maybe the other allegations have a basis but I would think that most rational people might have a legitimate reason to question them. I mean, every company hires detectives and it is not always for a nefarious reason. For all I know it the people being followed could have threatened to blow up a plant. The Indian contact has a credibility problem right now, if he could establish that he was receiving good reviews then the general public would be more likely to believe he was retailiated against.

Maybe he was just a crazy guy with an ax do grind and this was his best forum.

Peter Rost said...

The final word on the value, according to the article, is that the property is worth nearly 300% more than it was sold for.

The only argument that the sales price was "fair" is that average price on some other properties were similar to sales price back in 2004. We have no way of verifying this information.

That's like taking the average pricwe of a house in a particular city and claim if that is what someone got it was a good price. It really doesn't say anything.

All the stamp duty excercises on this specific, particular property come up with a value of 3x to 10x higher than the sales price.

So I'm not sure what all the yapping is about.

Clearly this was enough to write a two-page article.

Seems like Pfizer PR is in overdrive both here and on Cafe Pharma trying to use the article to discredit the whistleblower.

Fun to see a big company in action!

Anonymous said...

I come on your blog after reading Business World magazine and after searching on Google site regarding Pfizer company. I read all linked items and interview in your blog with Idnani. Lot of documents have been given by this person.Many Indian companies are corrupt but I was wondering how in MNC companys these corruption matters are going on.Every big company has internal controls then why nothing was found. My friend who is in a big audit company tells me all people protect each other to save their jobs as in MNC, salaries are very good. One comment of Annonymous means that all activities below blowing plant are legal nowadays? Murder,rape, fraud, corruption are allowed? Detectives have got bank statements, private telephone calls details of all people. The people’s life will be in danger because if there is lot of money in the banks their family members can be kidnapped for money purposes. Companys review certificates has no concern with credibility in such of these matters. There is so much documents and proof as such I agree with you. Many top people in India are worshipped like God in magazine covers on one day only next day we see they go to jail like examples in India are Rajan Pillai,share broker Harshad Mehta, share broker Ketan Parekh and other top people. What will happen to all these corrupt people in Pfizer company, can we know?