Uzbekistan: Vern Marinaeva and Shukhrat Allamchiev are handed lengthy prison sentences following deadly cough syrup trials
Trial's Verdict in Uzbekistan's Contaminated Cough Syrup Tragedy
A half-year court proceeding over the lethal impact of contaminated cough syrup imported from India has concluded, with several suspects receiving hefty penalties. Last month, a Tashkent court found 28 individuals guilty of various crimes, ranging from bribery and negligence to abuse of power, tax evasion, and the distribution of substandard medications.
The lengthiest sentence, a 20-year stint behind bars, was handed to Raghvendra Pratar Singh, the CEO of Quramax Medikal, the firm responsible for importing the faulty medicines from India's Marion Biotech. During the trial, Singh confessed to offering a $33,000 bribe to Uzbek officials to evade an audit of Marion Biotech products.
Sardor Kariyev, the ex-director of the Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency, a governmental regulator, was condemned to 18 years in prison. His two former deputies received 16-year sentences each.
Shoyusuf Shodmanov, who was in charge of drug registration, will serve 16-and-a-half years in prison.
While many defendants were given lenient penalties, such as correctional labor or restricted liberty, there were 23 men and 5 women in the courtroom.
The convicted defendants, including Singh and Kariyev, have been ordered to pay a combined total of about $605,000 in damages to the families of the affected children.
Those found guilty of accepting bribes from Quramax Medikal will have to return the ill-gotten funds to the state.
According to the official investigation, the Indian-produced cough syrup, DOK-1 Max, resulted in the deaths of numerous children from December 2022 to January 2023, with most victims being under three years old.
One of those convicted revealed that the regulator had neglected to test DOK-1 Max before registering it. Laboratory tests later verified that the syrup contained dangerous levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, exceeding the medical standards' permitted limits by over 300 times[1].
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan is making strides in other medical areas, such as establishing a clinical trial site for the follow-on phase of a human clinical trial and aiming to improve cancer care[2][5]. For current information on the contaminated cough syrup case, consult updates from Uzbekistan's health or legal authorities.
- The general news in Uzbekistan is currently focused on the health-and-wellness sector, with a major update on the sentence handed to Raghvendra Pratar Singh, CEO of Quramax Medikal, for importing contaminated cough syrup that led to the deaths of numerous children.
- Despite the tragedy involving the contaminated cough syrup, Uzbekistan's advancements in science, particularly in the field of cancer care, have been highlighted. Reports suggest that the country is establishing a clinical trial site for the follow-on phase of a human clinical trial.
- The contaminated cough syrup case, involving the distribution of substandard medications, has not only resulted in numerous crime-and-justice related issues, but has also led to a medical-conditions crisis, with the Indian-produced cough syrup DOK-1 Max containing dangerous levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, exceeding medical standards' permitted limits by over 300 times.
