Ex-Apple buyer says he accepted bribes

A former Apple employee has pleaded guilty to accepting kickbacks from the iPod maker's Asian suppliers.

Paul Devine, a former Apple global supply manager, was accused of passing on confidential information to aid suppliers in making successful tenders to the California-based technology giant. In an agreement he pleaded guilty to one count each of wire-fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

Mr Devine, who worked at Apple from 2005 to 2010, also agreed to surrender around $2.3m in cash and property in restitution. He will be sentenced in early June. The wire-fraud conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

His lawyer, Raphael Goldman, said: "Mr Devine is a good man who made a mistake and now he's trying to make amends."