Victims of poisoning seek justice

The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice has found ex-officers and individuals guilty after a mass diethylene glycol poisoning.

Members of the Committee for the Right to Health and Life asked Judge Abel Zamorano to comply with the conviction of those implicated in the case of  the mass poisonings with diethylene glycol.

Gabriel Pascual, spokesman for the committee, said yesterday they met with the magistrate and expressed their rejection for the failure to comply with the ruling - dated April 11 - which applied sentences to the ex-director of the Social Security Fund (CSS) René Luciani, the former Director of Pharmacies and Drugs of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) Pablo Solís, Ángel De La Cruz , owner of Medicom, a company that imported the poison.

Pascual explained that the victims of the toxic demand compliance with the sanctions applied.  Appeals have been filed  to replace prison sentences and requests for prescription of the criminal action.

He explained that the massive poisoning with diethylene glycol caused hundreds of victims to have permanent damage. After more than 10 years of struggle and a firm conviction, the condemned do not want to face their criminal responsibility.

The Zamorano ruling sentenced  Luciani, Solís and the former chief of the CSS Medicines Laboratory, Linda Thomas to one and half year of prison.  . All three have requested changes to their  prison sentences. In the case of Thomas, he asked for community work to be applied.

Edward Taylor and Miguel Algandona, of the Department of Quality Control of the CSS, were sentenced to 15 years in prison; Marta Sánchez and Nereida Quintero, from the Supply Department of the CSS, one year in prison; and five years for Teófilo Gateno , who financed the purchase of the toxic product.