Professor gets 16-month jail term for fabricating Oxy report

A local professor was sentenced to 16 months in prison Friday on charges of manipulating a report in favor of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser over the high-profile toxic humidifier disinfectant case.

The Seoul Central District Court found the professor at Hoseo University in Asan, some 100 kilometers south of Seoul, guilty of writing the report in return for money between October 2011 and September 2012.

The court ordered the professor, identified only by his surname Yoo, to forfeit 24 million won ($21,200) he illegally received from the household goods maker during the cited period.

The humidifier disinfectant case, one of the worst scandals involving a consumer product using chemicals, came to light after four pregnant women died of lung problems from unknown causes in 2011.

A government-led investigation confirmed a connection between people who died of lung problems and the chemicals used to clean household humidifiers.

"His actions significantly ruined the fairness, objectivity and propriety of research conducted at Hoseo University, as well as public trust," the court said.

"The report was used to back Oxy's argument and caused more confusion in clarifying the cause behind the humidifier disinfectant case," it said. "It was also another reason for a delay in proper compensation procedures for the victims."

Yoo was also convicted of fraud for illegally pocketing research fees worth some 69 million won from the university by fabricating the payroll.

Late last month, another professor from South Korea's top-notch Seoul National University received a 2-year sentence for similar allegations. (Yonhap)