Amazon whistleblower alleges India lawyers bribed officials

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Editor's note: Amazon Inc., the world’s largest online retailer, has initiated an investigation into the conduct of its legal representatives in India, three individuals aware of the matter told The Morning Context, requesting anonymity. This investigation comes on the back of a whistleblower complaint alleging that certain monies paid by Amazon in legal fees have been funnelled into bribes by one or more of its legal representatives.  Two people who work closely with Amazon’s in-house legal team confirmed that Rahul Sundaram, senior corporate counsel at Amazon, has been sent on leave. The Morning Context reached out to Sundaram for comment. In a text message, he said, “Sorry I cannot speak with the press.” We could not independently ascertain whether the internal investigation has been completed or is in progress.  Responding to a detailed set of questions, an Amazon spokesperson said: "We have zero tolerance for corruption. We take allegations of improper actions seriously, investigate them fully, and take appropriate action. We are not commenting on specific allegations or the status of any investigation at this time." One of the people mentioned above, …