Prosecutors have renewed their request for an arrest warrant for Ahn Yong-chan, former head of Aekyung Industrial, who is accused of selling humidifier disinfectants that are harmful to the human body.
Contrary to the Aekyung's claim that the company only sold humidifier disinfectants, the prosecution has reportedly found a number of traces of Aekyung's involvement in the product manufacturing process.
Aekyung worked closely with SK Chemicals in deciding on the selection of subcontractors, containers, product labels, and marking advertisements, according to a prosecution source.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said on April 26 that it has requested arrest warrants for Ahn, a former Aekyung Industrial CEO, two former Aekyung executives and an E-Mart executive on charges of professional negligence.
Aekyung sold humidifier "Mate" made with such materials as CMIT and MIT from 2002 to 2011 during Ahn's tenure. Ahn's arrest warrant was rejected once on March 30.
In 2016, Aekyung and E-mart avoided punishment for the lack of clear evidence of the harmful effects of CMIT and MIT, a raw material, during their first investigation.