Prosecutors Secure Recordings of 'COVID-19 New Drug Lobby'... Evidence of Requests to Democratic Party Lawmakers

Prosecutors investigating allegations of lobbying for COVID-19 new drugs are reportedly looking into circumstances suggesting that a businessman identified as a broker made requests to Democratic Party lawmaker A.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the legal community on the 10th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office has obtained recorded conversations between Yang, CEO of a daily necessities company under investigation for receiving money and favors in connection with lobbying for clinical trial approval from a pharmaceutical company developing COVID-19 treatments, and an acquaintance.

The recordings reportedly contain content that suggests Yang requested approval from the then Minister of Food and Drug Safety through lawmaker A, despite the clinical trial approval not yet being granted.

It is also reported that Yang mentioned receiving messages from lawmaker A about communications with the Minister of Food and Drug Safety.

According to prosecutors, Yang is suspected of receiving approximately 300 million KRW in cash and acquiring convertible bonds (CB) worth 600 million KRW from pharmaceutical company G’s director Kang in the second half of 2021, totaling about 900 million KRW in benefits, in exchange for helping to obtain clinical trial approval for the treatment. G received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for domestic phase 2 and 3 clinical trial plans in October of that year.

Prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for Yang on the 23rd of last month, but the court dismissed the warrant, judging that there was little risk of flight and that there was room for dispute regarding the nature of the money Yang received.