Diplomat's husband sentenced to 10+ years for illegal medicine imports

Taipei, March 12 (CNA) The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from the husband of Taiwan's representative to Brunei, Hao Jyh-hwa (郝治華), who was sentenced to 10 years and 11 months for importing and selling unapproved cosmetic injectables, according to a statement issued by the court Tuesday.

The verdict is final but the execution of the sentence will be determined by the prosecutor's request to the court, according to the statement.

Hao, the husband of Vanessa Shih (史亞平), head of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brunei Darussalam, was convicted of 28 criminal counts, including importing and selling banned cosmetic injectables and sentenced to 13 years and 11 months by the Taichung District Court.

The district court said in its ruling that Hao, then the director of a cosmetic clinic in Taichung, instructed his employees from 2009 to 2012 to purchase injectable drugs from a German company that were not approved by Taiwan's health authorities and offered anti-aging treatment plans to promote these injectables.

The average price per injection ranged from NT$17,000 (US$540) to NT$20,000.

After an appeal by Hao, the second instance was heard by the Taiwan High Court's Taichung branch.

However, the High Court in Taichung quashed the district court ruling based on the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration opinion that there was insufficient evidence to determine the liquid ingredients sold by the German company were "drugs" that could affect the structure and physiological functions of the human body as stipulated in the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, and acquitted Hao of the illegal medicine import charges.

Such drugs are not permitted for import and sale in Taiwan unless they are licensed by the health aouthtorities.

The prosecutors appealed the case to the Supreme Court, which revoked the ruling and ordered a new trial.

The High Court's Taichung branch subsequently found in the trial that the fact that Hao claimed the German Vitorgan liquid ingredient had anti-aging effects and planned a course of treatment covering invasive procedures, proved the product he used was medication used to diagnose, treat, alleviate or prevent human diseases, as defined in the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.

As a result, the court handed down a sentence of 10 years and 11 months in prison for a total of 28 criminal counts.

Hao then filed an appeal against the decision, which was rejected by the Supreme Court. The verdict is final.

Three years ago, Hao was sentenced to two years and eight months for violating the Criminal Code by injecting a hydrogel substance containing polyacrylamide, a suspected human carcinogen, which was disguised as hyaluronic acid, into the breasts of multiple women for breast enhancement to make money by fraud and for the offense of importing drugs and medical devices without approval under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.