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InGovern Research Services, a corporate governance advisory firm, on Friday said it has recently filed an official complaint with the Finance Minister’s Office and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) raising concerns around a breach of trust.
This corporate governance advisory firm has now raised concerns around the hiring of a former CCI official —Anku Sharma, by Flipkart in March 2023. Sharma was a former member of the CCI team responsible for investigating Flipkart and has joined Flipkart-Walmart as an Antitrust – Subject Matter Expert in March 2023.
The integrity of the ongoing CCI investigations into e-commerce giants Flipkart-Walmart and Amazon has come into question in the wake of hiring of Sharma by Flipkart, according to InGovern.
- Also Read: Flipkart controversy: InGovern red flags CCI probe on the grounds that it may have been compromised
The CCI had been actively investigating e-commerce players since 2020, focusing on allegations of market monopolisation and anti-competitive practices, including preferential treatment for specific sellers and abuse of dominant market positions.
Sharma’s transition raises substantialdoubts about the impartiality of CCI’s investigations, posing a potential threat to its integrity, InGovern said in a statement issued on Friday.
“There is a high probability that the investigation by CCI may have been compromised during the period Sharma was part of the investigation team at the CCI.
The entire chain of events is highly suspicious, something that casts a cloud of doubt over the impartiality of the investigation, and therefore, the entire findings of the CCI during Sharma’s tenure should be deemed compromised”, the statement added.
InGovern also recommended initiating a fresh investigation into this antitrust issue and taking appropriate measures to address any aberrations at the CCI.
The firm is anticipating follow-up actions from the CCI in response to its communication and remains steadfast in its mission to advocate for corporate governance, the statement added.
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