Chinese Company Bribed Buyers|For Home Depot, U.S. Firm Claims

COLUMBUS, OHIO (CN) - A Chinese company bribed and paid kickbacks to Home Depot so that it would buy their plastic sheeting products exclusively, a U.S. competitor claims in Federal Court.

Plaintiff Plaskolite, of Columbus, sued Zhejiang Taizhou Eagle Machinery Co. Ltd. aka Taizhou Eagle Group Ltd., of China; Taizhou Eagle Industries LLC, of Auburn, Ga.; and Global Home Industries, of College Park, Ga.

Plaskolite claims buyers for Home Depot formed Taizhou Eagle as a U.S. rep for the Chinese company, and "devised a scheme whereby ZTE would provide cash kickbacks to Home Depot buyers in exchange for Home Depot's purchase of Taizhou plastic ceiling panels. Some or all of these payments have occurred through TEI or Global Home. ... Alternatively, ZTE commercially bribed Home Dept buyers to purchase ZTE's products on behalf of Home Depot. Thus, ZTE sold its products directly to Home Depot in exchange for paying commercial bribes to buyers at Home Depot."

Plaskolite demands an injunction and treble damages. It is represented by James Wilson with Vorys Sates Seymour & Pease.

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