Two former prime ministers, the central bank governor, and
the federal commissioner for migration stood accused by prosecutors in the E.U.
state of Greece of receiving bribes from Novatis “in exchange for fixing the
price of its medicines at artificially high levels and increasing” the company’s
access in the state.[1]
The state legislature voted in February, 2018 to investigate the accusations
and to vote by secret ballot at the conclusion of the investigation on whether
to revoke immunity, which would be necessary for any of the accused to be
indicted. The prime minister at the time, Alexis Tsipras, said, “Those who
enriched themselves from human pain must suffer the consequences.”[2]
This statement reveals an ethical truism of sorts—namely, that people who
knowingly cause others pain should suffer. It is right, in other words, that they suffer.
A gay man, for instance, who knowingly risks infecting sex partners
with HIV by lying to them may receive less sympathy if he becomes ill. Mortgage
producers who knowingly subject borrowers the likely risk of losing their
respective homes deserve to suffer punishment. Suffering should be in balance.
Yet the infliction of retributive suffering does not undo the original suffering.
Whether or not the 10 politicians would suffer by being imprisoned would not
bring back any patients who died because medications were too expensive. A
corresponding suffering does not make the world fair; it merely makes the
victims or their allies feel better by relieving their anger. But does this
render the corresponding suffering ethical?
It is better, ethically speaking, to prevent the original
suffering, for even adding a corresponding suffering does not undo the original
for the victims. Novartis had been investigated for bribery in China, South
Korea, Turkey, and the U.S. Why had the European Commission not held the
company to close scrutiny? To look the other way concerning such a company is
itself unethical because the original suffering could have been prevented.
For more on unethical business, see Cases of Unethical Business
[1] Nici
Kitsantonis, “Did Novartis Bribe 10 Politicians? Greece Approves an
Investigation,” The New York Times,
February 23, 2018.
[2]
Ibid.
