NVS Novartis AG

   By Brian Blackstone and Donato Paolo Mancini 
 

ZURICH--Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG (NOVN.EB) won't face criminal proceedings over $1.2 million in payments it made to a company owned by U.S. President Donald Trump's longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, the Swiss attorney general's office said Wednesday.

"Following a detailed analysis, the [Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland] concluded that there was insufficient suspicion to justify opening criminal proceedings," it said in a statement.

Novartis declined to comment.

In its statement Wednesday, the attorney general's office said its examination "failed to confirm that there was sufficient suspicion in relation to the offence of bribery of foreign public officials."

"There was neither sufficient suspicion that the payments were made to a foreign public official nor that there was any link between the payments and any official act," it said.

Write to Brian Blackstone at brian.blackstone@wsj.com and Donato Paolo Mancini donatopaolo.mancini@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 06, 2018 09:32 ET (13:32 GMT)

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