Novartis witness status challenged in Supreme Court

A delegation from Parliament's preliminary inquiry committee into the handling of the Novartis bribery case by the previous administration petitioned the Supreme Court on Thursday to look into the status of its three key whistleblowers.

The petition also includes testimony of witnesses claiming to know the true identity of protected witnesses because they say they saw who they were during the period of their examination by corruption prosecutors. 

The delegation has also asked the Supreme Court to consider whether indications that the three protected whistleblowers had been involved in accepting bribes from the Swiss pharmaceutical giant provide sufficient grounds to lift their protected status so that they may be identified, located and compelled to testify to the parliamentary committee.

The parliamentary committee is investigating claims that the allegations...