The boss and three other high-ranking officials of an Indonesian company responsible for a cough syrup associated with the deaths of over 200 children have been sentenced to prison.
They received two-year prison terms and fines of 1 billion Indonesian rupiah ($63,056; £51,786).
The company in question, Afi Farma, was accused of manufacturing cough syrups containing excessive amounts of harmful substances. Afi Farma’s legal representative stated that they denied any negligence, and the company was contemplating whether to lodge an appeal.
The prosecutors had originally sought a prison sentence of up to nine years for Afi Farma’s CEO, Arief Prasetya Harahap, and seven years for each of the other defendants.
According to the Public Prosecutor, between October 2021 and February 2022, the company received two batches of propylene glycol, typically used in cough syrup production.
However, these batches contained 96% to 99% ethylene glycol, a toxic substance. Both propylene glycol and ethylene glycol can serve as additives in solvents, but while propylene glycol is non-toxic and widely employed in medicines, cosmetics, and food, ethylene glycol is toxic and used in products like paint, pens, and brake fluid.
The company did not conduct tests on the ingredients used in the cough syrup and instead relied on quality and safety certificates from its supplier, as asserted by the prosecutors.
Afi Farma’s lawyer, Samsul Hidayat, informed the BBC that Indonesia’s drug regulatory authorities did not mandate thorough ingredient testing for drug manufacturers.
The judge presiding over the case at the Kediri District Court in East Java found the four defendants guilty of intentionally producing pharmaceutical products that failed to meet safety standards.
This case coincides with the global drive to enhance oversight of drug supply chains in the wake of these tragic poisonings.
Since 2022, more than 200 Indonesian children, predominantly under the age of five, have lost their lives due to acute kidney injury linked to contaminated cough syrup. Similar incidents, with about 100 deaths reported, have occurred in The Gambia and Uzbekistan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued warnings regarding six cough syrups originating from India and Indonesia.