Professors at a university hospital suspected of taking bribes from pharmaceutical companies in return for using certain medicines for medical activities have been handed over to the prosecution.
According to the police on Aug. 4, Jungnang Police Station in Seoul sent three plastic surgery professors of Hanyang University's Seoul and Guri hospitals without detention on charges of breach of trust and an employee of a pharmaceutical company on charges of breach of trust.
The three professors are suspected of taking millions of won in bribes from an employee of a pharmaceutical company in return for using certain medicines for surgery.
Police booked them in March this year after obtaining information on rebates related to medicines late last year.
They then raided the offices of plastic surgery at Hanyang University Hospital and Hanyang University's Guri Hospital to secure related data.
The police plan to further investigate whether professors received rebates from other pharmaceutical companies.
The three professors are still in office. Hanyang University and Hanyang University Hospital said they will respond appropriately after seeing the results of the investigation and trial.
Two of the professors were also confirmed to have submitted forged papers to international journals four years ago. Hanyang University's research ethics committee ruled in July 2017 that the papers were a forgery.
kslee@koreaittimes.com
