Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Risk Management section inspector Chen Wen-hsiung (陳文雄) and 17 other people including pharmaceutical company owners, questioned on Wednesday by the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office as part of a corruption probe, were released on bail yesterday morning.
Chen, 50, was accused of violating provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Prosecutors charged Chen with bribery, leaking confidential information, forgery and other charges before his release after posting NT$500,000 (US$15,745) bail yesterday.
The other people involved in the probe, including Chen’s wife, were also released, with bail set at NT$200,000 each.
Photo: Chen Wei-tzu, Taipei Times
The companies ensnared in the probe reportedly include Genuine Chemical Pharmaceutical Co (人人化學製藥), CBC Biotechnological & Pharmaceutical Co (中生生技), Wei Li Pharmaceutical Co (中生威力化學), Paitun Biochemical Pharmacy Co (派頓化學製藥), Dersan Pharmaceutical Co (德山藥廠) and Kuang Nan Pharmaceutical Co (光南製藥).
Chen allegedly made at least NT$5 million in the past two years by providing the time and date of “unannounced” FDA inspections to proprietors in exchange for money.
He also allegedly helped products pass inspections and ensured they would receive their Good Manufacturing Practice and other certifications.
For his “services” and inside information Chen allegedly asked each company for about NT$1 million.
Prosecutors said they collaborated with the Ministry of Justice’s Agency Against Corruption to place Chen under surveillance for more than a year after receiving a tip-off.
The investigation reportedly found that when Chen planned inspections of pharmaceutical companies he would allegedly give instructions to the owners on how to deposit the alleged bribes. He would hold meeting’s in coffee shops or receive gifts containing money.
Chen’s wife would allegedly then deposit the money in various bank accounts.
National Health Insurance Civic Surveillance Alliance (民間監督健保聯盟) spokeswoman Eva Teng (滕西華) said that the bribery scheme is likely large scale.
“It would seem incredulous for just one FDA inspector to able to shield the companies from proper checks and monitoring. The scandal clearly shows poor management and negligence by the FDA.”
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
RSS