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Bekasi court hands down sentences to distributors of fake vaccines
The Bekasi District Court in West Java has sentenced five of the 19 suspects found guilty of producing and distributing fake vaccines, which sparked a public uproar last year, to various prison terms.
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Staff members with the Ciracas public health clinic administer a real vaccine to a baby in East Jakarta on July 18, 2016. The clinic allegedly provided fake vaccinations to at least 197 children. (The Jakarta Post/Seto Wardhana)
T
span style="font-size:14px;">The Bekasi District Court in West Java has sentenced five of the 19 suspects found guilty of producing and distributing fake vaccines, which sparked a public uproar last year, to various prison terms.
“The defendants who have been sentenced are the couple, Iin Sulastri and Syafrizal, for their roles in assisting to spread and produce fake vaccines,” the court’s spokesperson Suwarna said on Saturday.
A panel of judges presided over by Kurnia Yani Darmono handed down an eight-year for Iin and a 10-year one for Syafrizal. The court also required the two convicts to each pay Rp 100 million in fines.
“Iin gets a lighter sentence because she recently gave birth to her child,” Suwarna said.
(Read also: Police uncover fake vaccine syndicate)
Other convicts, Seno and Farid, each got eight years in prison and were ordered to pay fines of Rp 1 billion or serve another month in prison. They were both found guilty of distributing the bogus vaccine, Suwarna added.
Meanwhile, in a separate hearing, the court gave Irnawati, a nurse with the Harapan Bunda Hospital, a seven-year prison term and a Rp 1 billion fine. She was proven guilty of helping to distribute the product.
Suwarna said that the court was scheduled to carry out sentencing on the other 14 perpetrators in the near future.
Health Minister Nila Moeloek has revealed that at least 1,500 children in Banten, Jakarta and West Java had been exposed to the fake vaccines. (fac/dmr)
