Uzbekistan’s ongoing legal proceedings have allegedly brought alarming allegations to light with regards to corruption and bribery associated with the distribution of an Indian cough syrup responsible for the tragic deaths of 65 children in the country. Prosecutors in the case have revealed that distributors of the fatal cough syrup from Indian company Marion Biotech allegedly paid a bribe amounting to $33,000 to local health officials, reports said.
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In the midst of these concerning revelations, a trial has commenced in Uzbekistan involving 21 individuals, consisting of 20 Uzbeks and one Indian. The charges against them encompass a range of offenses including tax evasion, distribution of substandard or counterfeit medications, abuse of authority, negligence, forgery, and bribery.
Notably, among those facing trial are three individuals, one Indian and two Uzbek nationals, who hold executive positions at Quramax Medical. This company played a role in selling the cough syrups produced by Marion Biotech within Uzbekistan.
State prosecutor Saidkarim Akilov allegedly disclosed that Singh Raghvendra Pratar, the CEO of Quramax, reportedly offered a bribe of $33,000 to government officials responsible for medicinal product standardization. This payment was reportedly intended to eliminate the mandatory inspection of the cough syrups, highlighting the gravity of corruption within the pharmaceutical distribution chain.
However, Pratar refuted the charges levied against him but acknowledged providing money to Uzbekistan officials through an intermediary. Pratar asserted that the funds were offered as a “token of appreciation,” reports said. However, he claimed to be unaware of the subsequent utilization or the individuals involved in the transaction.
Prosecutors additionally revealed that Quramax Medical had engaged in importing medicines from Marion Biotech at an inflated cost through intermediary firms based in Singapore, leading to allegations of tax evasion.
Amidst these unfolding events, it is worth noting that in March, the Uttar Pradesh Drugs Controlling and Licensing Authority revoked Marion Biotech’s manufacturing license based on recommendations from the Centre. This move was followed by the arrest of the company’s operations head and two scientists.
The arrests followed an FIR filed by both Central and state drug authorities after detecting instances of adulteration and substandard quality in the company’s product samples.
According to various reports, Marion Biotech is alleged to have substituted a hazardous industrial-grade ingredient for the legitimate pharmaceutical component in the cough syrups they manufactured.
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It has been claimed that the cough syrup was produced using industrial-grade propylene glycol (PG), a toxic substance commonly used in liquid detergents, antifreeze, paints, coatings, and even to enhance the effectiveness of pesticides. The utilization of such a hazardous substance highlights a grave concern over the quality and safety of the produced medication.
