Gome China unit gets Beijing rap for bribery

HONG KONG - Gome Electrical Appliances Holdings Ltd, China's second-biggest electronics retailer by market value, said a unit was indicted for bribery at the Second Intermediate People's Court of Beijing.

Hong Kong-listed Gome will "actively defend" itself against the accusations, it said in a statement to the city's stock exchange on Monday. A copy of the indictment was first received on Feb 25, it said.

The mainland unit Gome Appliance Co was suspected of the offence between 2006 and 2008, when Gome Electrical founder Huang Guangyu was the Chinese unit's legal representative, the retailer said, citing a copy of the indictment. He was charged with illegal operations, insider trading and offering bribes on Feb 12, China News Services reported, citing a Beijing Court.