Stockholder Request Tied to Bribery Case : Polygraph Test Asked for Rite Aid Chief
A Rite Aid Corp. stockholder attending the firm’s annual meeting asked company President Martin Grass to take a lie detector test about his alleged attempt to bribe an Ohio Board of Pharmacy member.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported John H. Hanssens, a manufacturer’s representative from the Philadelphia area, made the request at the annual meeting in Harrisburg, Pa., Thursday after noting Rite Aid, the nation’s largest drugstore chain, has required some of its employees to submit to polygraph tests.
Before Grass could respond, the corporation’s counsel and vice president, Franklin C. Brown, interrupted.
“I’m going to have to intervene and I’m sorry,” said Brown. “The (legal) counsel we have engaged in Cleveland have informed us we are under a strict gag (order) and will not be able to answer any questions regarding that case.”
The gag order was issued in June by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Lillian Green in Cleveland. Grass was arrested at a Cleveland Hopkins International Airport area motel on April 27 and charged with offering pharmacy board member Melvin T. Wilczyski of Toledo $33,249 to resign from the board.
Prosecutors said Rite Aid, which operates 2,278 stores in 22 states, including 350 in Ohio, wanted to gain control of the Board of Pharmacy to fire its executive director, Franklin Z. Wickham. According to Rite Aid, Wickham has been overzealous in enforcing board regulations.
Rite Aid said the payment was to purchase Wilczyski’s consulting contract with Lane Drug Inc.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
