[Photo by Namgung Jin-woong = timeid@]
South Korean prosecutors have sought warrants to arrest nine more people, including six from two major discount chains, in an investigation into deadly humidifier disinfectants that triggered a public health scare and a buyer's strike.
Three officials each from Lotte Mart and Homeplus face charges of
involuntary manslaughter and injuries. The retailers were accused of selling humidifier disinfectants without testing on the toxicity of chemicals contained in the products.
Oxy Reckitt Benckiser Korea, the local unit of a British company, has been at the center of the scandal that came to light after four pregnant women died of serious lung ailment in 2011.
Prosecutors said on late Wednesday that three other people face similar charges, including a humidifier sterilizer maker, a company consultant and a Hoseo University professor. The professor was accused of concocting research papers in return for money.
Previously, five people were arrested and charged -- three Oxy officials, another humidifier sterilizer maker, and a professor of Seoul National University's veterinary department. The professor was also accused of tampering with research data in favor of Oxy.
Government data showed 103 people, including dozens of pregnant women and infants, were presumed to have died after using humidifier disinfectants produced by Oxy and other companies. Consumer groups have accused them of falsely advertising their products as safe.
Oxy has been widely vilified for covering up the harmfulness of its product. It is suspected of failing to conduct a safety test despite a warning from a German research center about the inhalation toxicity of chemicals such as poly hexamethylene guanidine.
The victims want Oxy's parent company in Britain to be investigated to see if it was aware of the disinfectant's harmfulness.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
