Bill Pinckney, Chief Executive Officer of Amway India, was released on bail on Monday. He had been arrested by Andhra Pradesh Police on May 26 from his office in Gurgaon and brought to Kurnool. Thereafter, he had been detained in different prisons in Kadapa, Warangal and Hyderabad.

In a press statement, Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel, and President, Doug DeVos, said “The release of Amway India CEO Bill Pinckney is a great relief. We are dismayed that this unnecessary detention occurred at all, and are even more troubled that it lasted so long.”

They reiterated their commitment to Amway business owners who sell products in India and resolve to work with the newly elected Government in New Delhi to clear direct selling legislation.

The AP police had, based on some complaints, arrested Pinckney under the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) (PCMCS) Act. At least half a dozen cases have been filed against Amway and its CEO in different districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In the last few weeks, several industry bodies, including the Ficci, Amcham, IDSA, and CII, have made strong pleas for Pinckney’s release while calling for clarity on the PCMCS Act.

Samir Behl, Regional President, Europe, South Africa and India, Amway, said it will now defend its CEO at the trial. He said the Act does not distinguish between genuine direct selling companies and illegal schemes. Amway continues to invest heavily in India despite these recent challenges, creating hundreds of new construction and manufacturing jobs in Tamil Nadu in connection with the ₹500-crore manufacturing facility due to come on line later this year, he added.

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