Did China bribe the Nobel prize jury?

Stockholm, Dec 19: A report in a news agency on Thurday, Dec 18, quoted Special corruption prosecutor Nils Erik Schultz stating that a probe has been launched on several Nobel science prize committees for bribery.

The first case involves several members from the prestigious Nobel committees for medicine, physics and chemistry who visited China at the expense of the Chinese authorities. Schultz said he had launched a preliminary investigation. Sources say that investigation was ordered after a radio news that three jury members allegedly went to China to explain the selection process and other crucial details to Chinese authorities. In the past three years no Chinese citizen has won a Nobel Prize.

He said, "I am looking at the cost, who went on the trip, where they went, what position they held and I want to see their itinerary too." He is also examinig "why the Chinese wanted to invite these people to China, was there the possibility they thought they could influence them in any way."

It is the Karolinska Institute which awards the Nobel prize for the field of Medicine. While the Physics and Chemistry prizes are awarded by separate committees at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The second corruption case involves Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which earlier this year signed a sponsor agreement with two Nobel companies with close ties to the Nobel Foundation, Nobel Web and Nobel Media.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)