UPDATE 1-MAN offers employees amnesty in bribery probe

* Says will not charge damages in return for help in probe

* Says will also refrain from firings

* Says those workers would not be exempted from prosecution

* Shares down 0.6 percent

(Adds detail, background)

FRANKFURT, May 18 (Reuters) - German truckmaker MAN AG (MANG.DE) promised its workers it would refrain from claiming damages from any staff members who came forward to help get to the bottom of a bribery probe at the company.

Public prosecutors would look favourably on cooperation by employees, though help in the investigation would not exempt staff from legal consequences, MAN said on Monday.

"The amnesty program is both an important part of the ongoing internal investigation as well as an invitation to cooperate for any employees who may be affected," MAN said.

MAN shares were 0.6 percent lower at 45.95 euros by 1445 GMT, while German blue-chip stocks .GDAXI were up 2.1 percent.

Prosecutors said last week they had identified more than 100 suspects in the bribery investigation at MAN which relates to suspected hidden commission payments made in 2002-2005 totalling about 1 million euros ($1.35 million) in Germany and several million euros in other countries.

State prosecutors said they were investigating a network spanning individual bank accounts and shell companies in Malta, the Virgin Islands, London and elsewhere.

This investigation comes months after Siemens (SIEGn.DE) agreed to pay a fine for paying bribes to win contracts in a scandal which cost the German industrial conglomerate billions of euros in penalties and legal costs.

"It is very important to MAN that all allegations are fully cleared up fast," MAN said on Monday. (Reporting by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Dan Lalor) ($1 = 0.7422 euro)