Prosecutors Seek to Detain Three in Lead Scandal|含鉛中藥案 呂世明等3人遭檢方申請羈押

Taichung's Shengtang and Jiufu traditional Chinese medicine clinics have been searched following a series of lead poisoning cases among patients. Prosecutors suspect that a banned ingredient was added in the medication prescribed by them and therefore ask the local court to detain the heads of the two clinics.


Taichung prosecutors and health officials search two traditional Chinese medicine clinics and an upstream pharmaceutical company involved in the snowballing lead contamination scandal. The officials collected evidence and brought in the heads of the clinics and company for questioning. Prosecutors are seeking to detain all three.

(The three) are suspected of violating the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, falsifying documents, and doctoring records. There are of course also injury claims to be dealt with. We have applied to detain all three of them for the destruction of evidence and the likelihood of collusion.

The three are believed to have added cinnabar, a banned substance, into medicinal products. They later tried to recall the products and doctored records. The health bureau has tested 20 patients and 34 drug samples as of the 6th and says anyone with concerns should send samples to the food safety office for testing.

(Anyone with concerns) should bring samples and packaging along with their ID cards, chops and receipts to Taichung's food safety office for testing.

(Shengtang) said (it was purchasing cinnabar) for external use. I thought they were making fragrant sachets for people.

The owner of the pharmacy that Shengtang was purchasing cinnabar from says Shengtang has been buying cinnabar for two years, saying it was for fragrant sachets. The National Union of Chinese Medical Doctors' Association ROC, meanwhile, says it cannot accept the trio's actions.

They might have been trying to achieve some kind of breakthrough in treating difficult diseases, but what they did was illegal.

The union says Lu has been relieved of his union duties. The health bureau has fined Shengtang NT$500,000 and ordered the clinic to temporarily close for 60 days. Jiufu received a lesser penalty of NT$300,000 and order for closure of 30 days. The investigation is ongoing.



台中檢調會同衛生局人員，六號傍晚啟動搜索。除了前往爆出含鉛中藥的盛唐中醫，還有位在北區的九褔中醫以及上游藥商。除了帶回相關跡證，盛唐中醫負責人呂世明，九褔中醫的洪姓醫師和藥商也被帶回偵訊。檢方認為三人犯罪嫌疑重大，向地院聲請羈押。

台中地檢署襄閱主任檢察官 林彥良表示：「（三人)涉犯藥事法，以及相關偽造文書，業務登載不實等罪嫌，當然也有傷害罪的問題，而且有湮滅罪證，和勾串證人或被告之虞(聲請羈押)。」

檢方指出， 硃砂已經是禁藥，但包括兩名醫師和藥商等三人，還是使用調劑入藥，之後又有回收禁藥，和隱匿用藥紀錄，有明顯滅證行為，因此聲請羈押。而衛生局表示從三號到六號，有20位民眾和34件檢體送驗。也呼籲如果對服用的中藥有疑慮的，可以將檢體送往食安處。

台中市衛生局醫管科長 楊惠如表示：「請備妥足夠檢驗數量的完整中藥包裝，攜帶身分證、印章、購買憑證，至台中市食品藥物安全處送驗。」

中藥商老闆娘表示：「他(盛唐)說要做外用的，我當初也想說(要做香包)，送給人家的。」

重新回到中藥商，老闆娘低調表示，2年來盛唐陸續購入硃砂，聲稱要做香包，他說沒想到會加進中藥裡。而風暴越滾越大，中醫師公會全國聯合會也表示，對於硃砂入藥的行為難以接受。

中醫師公會全國聯合會副理事長 施純全表示：「可能是為了處理某些比較困難的疾病，而使用這些藥物，想要有所突破啦！但是這些都是違法啦！」

公會表示，將禁藥摻進內服藥就是違法，也宣布解除呂世明在公會的職務。目前台中市衛生局，對盛唐重罰50萬元，停業兩個月。九褔則是重罰30萬，停業一個月。是否還有更多人受害，將等待檢驗結果。