SHANGHAI, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Shanghai police have detained 22 people, including McDonald's and Whirlpool executives, in a bribery investigation, Chinese state-run news media said Friday.
The alleged crimes appeared to involve bribes or kickbacks of at least $515,000 to win equipment orders and business contracts, Shanghai Daily and other newspapers reported.
Bribes are believed to be widespread in China. Formal charges were not announced.
Besides McDonalds and Whirlpool, executives accused of taking bribes included heads of information technology departments at local offices of U.S. consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and Swiss engineering firm ABB Ltd.
McDonald's, McKinsey and ABB spokespeople said they were looking into the matter. Whirlpool had no immediate comment.
Chinese investigators said the detentions were part of "a major anti-bribery campaign" to rein in "economic crimes," Shanghai Daily said.
One U.S. company official complained the big multinational companies were being "picked on" and said commercial corruption was much more prevalent among Chinese companies.
