Software giant Microsoft is co-operating with US federal authorities in an investigation into alleged "illegal activity" by employees and business partners in Russia and Pakistan.
John Frank, vice president and deputy general counsel of Microsoft, confirmed that the investigation was taking place in a blog post, adding that the company "takes every allegation seriously", and will therefore co-operate fully in any enquiries.
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"Like other large companies with operations around the world, we sometimes receive allegations about potential misconduct by employees or business partners, and we investigate them fully, regardless of the source," he said.
His statement came after the Wall Street Journal reported that there was an ongoing probe into the activities of partners and employees in China, Italy and Bulgaria.
In Russia, an anonymous source told Microsoft that software resellers have bribed executives of a state-owned firm to win a deal.
In Pakistan, meanwhile, Microsoft is alleged to have authorised a consulting firm to pay for a five-day holiday in Egypt for a government official and his wife in order to win a tender. Both incidents were alleged to have taken place in the past eight months.
Microsoft's Frank said that the software giant "invests heavily in proactive training, monitoring and audits to ensure its global business operations meet the highest legal and ethical standards".
He explained that the company has more than 50 people whose primary role is to investigate potential breaches of company policy, and an additional 120 employees whose primary role is compliance.
This, he said, not only reflects the size and complexity of Microsoft's business, but also the seriousness it takes towards meeting its legal and ethical obligations.
The US government has not accused Microsoft or any of its business partners of wrongdoing, meaning that the investigation could end with no charges being filed.
