Police, Determination of Obstruction of Business Conduct
A video released by BR Korea, a subsidiary of SPC Group that operates Dunkin, raising the possibility of manipulation in the submitted footage. /Video by BR Korea
[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The police have determined that a video showing unsanitary conditions, including foreign substances falling into dough at a Dunkin' Donuts production factory, was partially manipulated, and have sent the whistleblower to the prosecution.
On the 9th, the Anyang Dongan Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced that BR Korea, a subsidiary of SPC Group operating Dunkin' Donuts, sent Mr. A, an employee at the Dunkin' Anyang factory and the person who filmed the video, to the prosecution without detention with a recommendation for indictment.
Earlier, on September 24 of this year, Mr. A filmed a video at the Dunkin' Donuts Anyang factory showing hygiene issues such as a yellowish substance falling into the dough besides the ingredients and reported it to the office of Justice Party lawmaker Kang Eun-mi.
The video showed scenes of grease buildup on the ventilation equipment of the donut manufacturing facility, the grease falling into the dough, and black substances on the inside of a container holding syrup. This video was passed to KBS through the lawmaker’s office and was broadcast on the 29th of the same month, sparking outrage among many consumers.
In response, BR Korea raised the possibility of manipulation of the submitted video in a press release on the 30th of the same month and requested a police investigation.
At that time, BR Korea stated, "Upon reviewing the factory’s CCTV, it was found that on July 28, Mr. A secretly filmed using a pen-shaped small camera on an unmanned line," adding, "Mr. A deliberately attempted to drop grease stuck on equipment onto the dough and appeared to scrape it off with a rubber spatula to make it fall well onto the dough."
They further stated, "This scene was confirmed to match the footage used in the report," and "Mr. A was not an employee working on that line at that time."
This is a video filmed by an employee inside the Dunkin' Donuts Anyang factory at the time. Photo by KBS News Capture
Subsequently, after summoning the accused and conducting on-site inspections and related investigations, the police judged that Mr. A obstructed business through partially manipulated videos. A police official said, "We cannot disclose detailed grounds for the judgment, but based on video evidence and others, we determined that illegal acts occurred and sent the case to the prosecution."
Regarding this, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ Chemical, Textile, and Food Workers’ Union, which raised the issue together with Mr. A, stated, "The purpose was public interest to inform about contamination in food, and thus the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission recognized Mr. A as a public interest whistleblower," adding, "Nevertheless, it is regrettable that the police sent the case based on video evidence whose intent is not clearly understood."
They also said, "While Dunkin' demands thorough hygiene from franchise stores, it is only focused on increasing sales without even giving production factory workers time to clean," and "Last month, we submitted a complaint to the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency requesting punishment of Dunkin' for violating the Food Sanitation Act."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
