An Egyptian court on Saturday ordered the detention of a ruling party MP whose company sold the health ministry faulty blood bags, causing widespread panic and a severe drop in blood donations.
Judge Ahmed Ezzat al-Ashmawi ordered the detention of MP Hani Surur and six others including his sister -- all are currently on trial for fraud and profiteering-- until the next court session on November 11.In January, a health ministry employee publicly accused Surur, a member of President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party, of fraud after his company Hayedelena for Advanced Medical Industries Company (HAMIC) -- the health ministry's only blood bag supplier -- sold the ministry tens of thousands of faulty blood bags.
The press reported heavily on the the "Blood bags scandal", leading to a product recall.
The exact nature of the defect varied wildly, but a mass panic ensued over the "contaminated" blood bags leading to a 70 percent drop in blood donations, the health ministry said at the time.
Surur had his parliamentary immunity lifted and in June he was referred to a criminal court.
Source-AFP
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