Police in Shanghai are holding Peter Humphrey, the British founder of an investigation firm in Hong Kong that concentrates on fraud and investigating multinational business operations, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Humphrey’s detention causes concern for other such investigation firms that worry about even restrictions on accessing the information these companies need to conduct their investigations fully.
According to some sources, GlaxoSmithKline was one of Humphrey’s clients. Glaxo is currently under investigation for bribery and other charges. However, the reasons for Humphrey’s detention remain unclear, as spokesman for Glaxo said that he was never an employee of the pharmaceutical company.
Despite this statement, Humphrey’s ChinaWhys Co. and Glaxo worked together in 2004 on an anti-fraud and anti-corruption seminar in Shanghai. Humphrey’s described the event as a tool kit to explain ways to tackle fraud, corruption, and white-collar crime in the business world.