Prosecutors Arrest and Indict Inspector Who Leaked 'MFDS Drug Information' and Received 200 Million Won

Three Employees of Pharmaceutical Company Charged Today Without Detention for Breach of Trust and Acceptance of Bribes

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] A Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) official who leaked drug approval documents stored by the MFDS to domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies and pocketed over 200 million won in return for mediating raw material supply contracts has been brought to trial.

The Criminal Division 12 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, specializing in trade secret leaks and cybercrime investigations (Chief Prosecutor Park Hyun-jun), announced on the 29th that Kim Mo (42), an MFDS examiner formerly from a pharmaceutical company, was arrested and indicted on the 4th of last month on charges of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act (including overseas leakage of trade secrets) and bribery.

According to the prosecution, Kim leaked 30 types of drug approval documents for prescription drugs stored at the MFDS to seven domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies, including an Indian pharmaceutical company.

Additionally, Kim received commissions from raw material suppliers in exchange for providing drug information and mediating contracts with pharmaceutical companies, and also collected commissions from pharmaceutical companies in return for providing drug information and facilitating drug approval processes.

The total commissions Kim received from six pharmaceutical companies and three raw material suppliers were investigated to amount to 225 million won.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has non-detained indicted three employees of pharmaceutical companies who paid kickbacks to Kim through partner companies for raw material supply contracts, as well as one employee of a raw material supply company on charges of bribery.

The prosecution also granted a suspension of indictment to ten individuals, including representatives of small and medium pharmaceutical companies who received drug approval documents but did not actually sell the products or voluntarily returned the drug approvals themselves.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.