Adidas is investigating allegations of “large-scale corruption” by its staff…

The anonymous letter, which claims to have been written by “Adidas China employees”, accused several of the company's employees in China of receiving bribes from outside service providers it does business with. affair.

A senior executive in another division also allegedly received “millions in cash from suppliers and physical assets such as real estate,” the report said, citing sources familiar with the investigation.

He added that none of the accused have been named.

“Although the anonymous authors of the letter have not provided concrete evidence to support their allegations of corruption, they appear to be well informed on highly sensitive and confidential internal matters” that merit further investigation, the report said.

In the letter, also shared on Chinese social media, the accusers mention that company officials, including a senior executive involved in the marketing budget in China, were involved in corruption.

Adidas acknowledged receiving the anonymous complaint and said it was investigating the matter with external legal counsel.

“Adidas takes allegations of possible compliance violations very seriously and is clearly committed to complying with legal and internal regulations and ethical standards in all markets where we operate,” the group said in a statement issued in response. to a question from the Reuters news agency.

Adidas said it could not provide further information until the investigation was complete.

The company made a leadership change in China in 2023 in a bid to revive its business after suffering a slowdown during the pandemic.

Chinese consumers have turned bitter against the company in recent years over its refusal to buy cotton from the Xinjiang region, where human rights activists say the industry involves forced labor.

But earlier this year, the company said it expected a rebound in sales in China, forecasting a double-digit growth rate.

The German sportswear giant's China sales rose 8% in the first quarter, the company said earlier.