Illustrative image (Photo: reuters.com) Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia’s police are conducting preliminaryinquiries into whether any actions by officials at the country’s drug regulatorcould amount to criminal wrongdoing, as they expand a probe into taintedcough syrups linked to the deaths of more than 200children across the nation.
The police scrutiny of Indonesia's food and drugsagency (BPOM) is the latest escalation by states seeking accountability forcontaminated syrups that were linked to the deaths of dozens more children inGambia and Uzbekistan last year. The World Health Organization is working withcountries to investigate the global pharmaceutical supply chain for suchsyrups.
Late last year, police arrested and charged eightindividuals at Indonesian companies that imported and distributed raw materialsto drug makers whose cough syrups were found to contain toxic industrial-gradechemicals instead of the legitimate ingredient.
Andika Urrasyidin, lead police investigator of thecase, told Reuters police have called in "many" BPOM officials forquestioning, and the investigation is still underway.
No one at BPOM has been accused of wrongdoing. Thepolice could ultimately pursue criminal charges or close the probe withouttaking action.
Hersadwi Rusdiyono, director of Indonesia'snational police's crimes detection unit, said BPOM officials were brought in aswitnesses, but investigators are now checking if any wrongdoing was committedby drug regulators.
Hersadwi said the probe so far has focused on staff atlower levels and not included BPOM'S chief Penny Lukito.
BPOM has said a spike incases of acute kidney injury occurred as several parties "exploited a gapin the safety guarantee system" and pharmaceutical companies did notsufficiently check the raw ingredients they used./.
