Uzbekistan Says Indian Cough Syrup That Killed 65 Children Was In Market Due To Bribery: Report

<p>Uzbekistan prosecutors have alleged in court that distributors of the Indian cough syrup, which killed 65 children in the country, paid local health officials a bribe of $33,000 to do away with mandatory testing, Reuters reported. The cough syrups were produced by Indian firm Marion Biotech.</p> <p>In Uzbekistan, 21 people have been put on trial -- 20 of whom are Uzbeks and one Indian -- last week. The charges being faced by the 21 accused include tax evasion, sale of substandard or counterfeit medicines, abuse of office, negligence, forgery, and bribery.</p> <p>Three of those on trial, an Indian and two Uzbek nationals, are executives of Quramax Medical, the company that sold medicines produced by Marion Biotech, in Uzbekistan.</p> <p>State prosecutor Saidkarim Akilov said Quramax CEO Singh Raghvendra Pratar allegedly paid government officials responsible for standardisation of medicinal products $33,000 to skip mandatory inspection of the syrups.</p> <p>Pratar denied the charges in court but admitted that he gave the money to Uzbekistan officials through an intermediary as a "token of appreciation", Reuters reported. However, Pratar said he had no idea how and by whom that amount was used.</p> <p>The prosecutors also said that Quramax Medical had imported medicines of Marion Biotech at an inflated price through two Singapore-based intermediary companies, prompting tax evasion charges.</p>