A corporate whistleblower is set to collect $51 million — his share of a massive settlement with Olympus America to resolve charges it gave doctors and hospitals kickbacks to order its medical equipment., NBC News reported.
John Slowik worked for the imaging giant for 20 years and served as its compliance officer before he was let go in 2010, according to court papers.
In a qui tam whistleblower suit, he alleged that the company ignored his efforts to stop it from giving financial rewards to hospitals and physicians for buying Olympus endoscopes, which are used to examine the digestive tract.
Doctors and hospital officials got lavish junkets, fancy meals, research grants and free equipment, prosecutors and Slowik alleged. In one case, three doctors got a trip to Japan after their hospital ditched another supplier and switched to Olympus, prosecutors said.