Wal-Mart targeted by New York pension fund in lawsuit over alleged bribery in Mexico

Wal-Mart officials were sued by a group of New York pension funds for alleged mismanagement in failing to prevent bribery as the world’s largest retailer expanded operations in Mexico.

Investors including the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Police Pension Fund, Fire Department Pension Fund and Board of Education Retirement System contend that company officials were duty bound to control alleged “widespread corruption” and a subsequent cover-up at Wal-Mart de Mexico, according to a complaint filed Monday in Delaware Chancery Court.

Both U.S. and Mexican prosecutors said in April that they had started probes of allegations that Wal-Mart bribed Mexican officials to help fuel growth in the country. The retailer’s expansion in Mexico has turned the company into the country’s largest private employer, with more than 209,000 workers.

“The defendants knew or should have known that violations of law were occurring” and “made no good-faith effort to prevent or remedy the situation,” the funds said in their complaint.

The case is one of four filed this year in Delaware since allegations of bribery were reported. The funds, which hold 5.62 million Wal-Mart shares, seek unspecified restitution from officials in behalf of the company and reforms “to improve its corporate governance and internal procedures,” according to the complaint.

The U.S. government investigation into $24 million in alleged Mexican bribes might cost Wal-Mart hundreds of millions of dollars, former federal prosecutors have said.

Greg Rossiter, a Wal-Mart spokesman, was not available for comment.