Prosecution seeks to question Reckitt Benckiser officials

The prosecution is looking to summon officials of U.K.-based company Reckitt Benckiser as part of the humidifier disinfectant probe, officials said Monday.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said it is determining the date to call in two or three executives from Reckitt Benckiser who are suspected to have been involved in or aware of the manipulation of the chemical toxicity test result.

The officials are reportedly the ones who visited Seoul when the Seoul National University professor surnamed Cho released the reproduction-toxicity test result for PHMG in November 2011 and the inhalation-toxicity test result for the chemical in February 2012.

Cho was indicted Tuesday for manipulating the PHMG toxicity test result in return for money from Oxy Reckitt Benckiser.

Upon Oxy’s request, Cho had conducted the PHMG toxicity test from October 2011 to April 2012. While the reproduction-toxicity test proved the chemical’s harmfulness, Cho allegedly concealed the test result, manipulated the inhalation-toxicity test and announced that there was no causality between the disinfectant use and health damage, the prosecution said.

Cho allegedly received 12 million from ($10,000) Oxy through a behind contract, it added.

Speculation has grown over the headquarters’ involvement in the test manipulation as it was found that Reckitt Benckiser officials had attended the test result event along with officials from law firm Kim & Chang.

Meanwhile, the prosecution said it would soon question former Oxy CEO Gaurav Jain through a document later this week. Jain, who currently lives in Singapore, refused Thursday to appear to the Korean prosecution for questioning. Oxy was formally renamed to Reckitt Benckiser Korea in 2014.

The 47-year-old, who served as the firm’s CEO from May 2010 for two years, is suspected of making the final decision to hand over 12 million won to Cho.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)