A prominent Massachusetts hospital has found itself at the center of a federal bribery lawsuit that alleges it bribed the former leader of Bermuda to steer health business to its clinic.
The racketing conspiracy between the Lahey Clinic and Dr. Ewart Brown, the former premier of Bermuda, spanned 20 years, according to the lawsuit obtained by the Boston Business Journal. It states that the healthcare provider gave Brown bribes disguised as consulting fees in exchange for Lahey receiving preferential treatment when it bid on healthcare contracts issued by the Bermudian government.
Furthermore, the suit alleges Lahey made millions of dollars reading and interpreting medically unnecessary MRI and CT scans at private health clinics in Bermuda that were owned by Brown.
But Lahey told the Associated Press in a statement that the allegations were baseless and without merit. Hospital spokesman Christopher Murphy further told the Boston Business Journal that its business practices are beyond reproach. The hospital, he said, provides high-quality care to the people of Bermuda at a lower cost than other international healthcare providers on the island.
“We will review these allegations and vigorously defend ourselves through every step of the legal process,” Murphy said. “Despite this lawsuit, we remain committed to the people of Bermuda, as we believe our presence on the island has greatly benefited our patients and their communities.”
Lahey sends a group of 25 specialists, including cardiologists and neurologists, to Bermuda on a rotating basis and care for patients referred by local doctors, according to The Boston Globe.
Meanwhile, the newspaper notes that allegations of political corruption have dodged Brown for years, Last weekend, police raided his two clinics and took boxes of records as part of its ongoing investigation.