16 February 2010 | Jake Kanter

Ikea has dismissed two Russian employees for allowing a supplier to pay a bribe.

In a statement, the Swedish furniture chain said it found corruption in connection with energy supplied to the Ikea Group-owned Mega shopping centres in St Petersburg.

The staff, who were not named, left the company with immediate effect and an investigation is ongoing.

“We are deeply upset and disappointed,” said Mikael Ohlsson, CEO and president of the Ikea Group. “Corruption is totally unacceptable for Ikea and therefore we take this matter very seriously and will act fast and determined.”

The company statement added that it expects all business to be conducted in a “fair and honest way”.

In 2007 an Ikea purchaser was jailed for two years for accepting more than £1 million in bribes.