BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart has kicked off an internal investigation into whether some of its workers around the globe violated a federal law that prohibits bribery overseas.

Walmart has kicked off an internal investigation into whether some of its workers around the globe violated a federal law that prohibits bribery overseas.

In a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month Walmart acknowledged that it was exploring the possibility that some employees outside of the United States may have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

"We are taking a deep look at our policies and procedures in every country in which we operate," a spokesman told The Wall Street Journal.

He declined to provide additional details, adding only that the potential problems were "discrete incidents in specific areas" and not widespread.

Walmart operates more than 9,000 stores in 28 countries around the world. Its operations outside the United States include solely owned ventures and partnerships in such places as Argentina, China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Africa.

The company did not reveal any details of its investigation, such as the country or countries in which the potential violations occurred and whether they may have constituted bribery.
The extent of the details was limited to Walmart’s saying only that the investigation pertained to "permitting, licensing and ­inspections."