Tencent, the Chinese technology giant, announced that it has laid off more than 100 employees for violating company rules. Some were even reported to the police and found guilty of bribery, then thrown into jail.
Tencent, founded by Ma Huateng, also known as Pony Ma, is the world's top video game maker and owner of WeChat, a super popular app in China. However, recently they have experienced some difficulties due to the Chinese government's pressure on the technology sector, which began at the end of 2020.
In a statement, Tencent, which posted a second straight quarterly decline in earnings, said that more than 100 employees were found guilty of violating anti-fraud policies and were fired.
"Regarding corruption and fraud within the company, Tencent continues to strengthen the crackdown and investigate and deal with a series of violations. The number of cases and personnel investigated and handled throughout 2022 has increased compared to 2021," said Tencent, quoted by us from the Bangkok Post.
Those sacked for embezzling company funds and accepting bribes, some were referred to the police and some were found guilty in court. Some of those sacked and accused of corruption were members of divisions that oversee content, from news to sports and movies.
But there are also those who work in other Tencent businesses, including cloud computing and fintech. Tencent gave the example of one of the employees being found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.
Recently the Pony Ma told an internal meeting last month that the level of corruption at the company was "staggering", apart from criticizing employees she considered lazy. Now, sanctions have been imposed.