Criminal investigators search Siemens office

Criminal investigators search Siemens office

Investigators from the U.S. Department of Defense executed a search warrant April 22 at the Malvern, PA, office of Siemens Medical Solutions USA, seeking evidence of wrongdoing associated with a government contract between the department and Siemens. The search focused on a single floor of one building on the Malvern campus, according to spokesperson Lance Longwell. Information about the specific contract being investigated was not publicly known.

The Malvern office focuses on healthcare IT, having been the headquarters of Shared Medical Systems, which Siemens acquired eight years ago for $2.1 billion. The floor involved in the investigation, however, is peopled entirely by staff who market Siemens medical imaging equipment, according to Longwell. These personnel work on federal contracts, he said.

Some media reports have sensationalized the investigation, according to Longwell, who cited false reports of Siemens employees being detained. After the arrival of the DoD investigators, Siemens asked employees working near the area being searched to leave for the rest of the day and to return Thursday "for a regular workday," he said. Longwell said the company has fully cooperated with the investigation and will continue to do so.

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