Indictment - Defective masks worth 20 million euros sold
Two men and a woman will soon have to stand trial for allegedly selling defective protective masks worth around 20 million euros to bona fide third parties in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. The public prosecutor's office in Schwerin has filed charges against a 55-year-old woman from Dresden, a 55-year-old man from Brandenburg and a 35-year-old man from Kiel for gang and commercial fraud in 116 cases.
Between March 2020 and December 2022, they allegedly imported protective equipment and medical products such as masks, protective suits and goggles in significant quantities from Vietnam and Turkey. It was clear to them that the goods did not comply with EU regulations because they had no or incorrect CE markings. Experts had examined the confiscated masks for the public prosecutor's office and had unanimously concluded that the products did not provide the required filter performance.
The public prosecutor' s office also accuses the trio of having advertised their products in a newspaper. This unlawfully gave the impression that the masks can render bacterial and viral pathogens such as the coronavirus harmless. Several media outlets had previously reported this.
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- Despite the heavy consequences, the trio continued their criminal activity during the first two years of the Coronavirus pandemic in Germany.
- In Schleswig-Holstein, the public prosecutor's office is preparing to initiate the legal process against the accused individuals for allegedly selling defective masks worth around 20 million euros.
- The men and woman faced charges in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for importing and advertising non-compliant protective masks, breaching EU regulations and providing false information about their effectiveness against viral pathogens like Coronavirus.
- After discovering that the disguised masks lacked the required protective features, the public prosecutor's office in Brandenburg launched an investigation to identify the individuals responsible for the deceptive sales.
- News outlets reported on the widespread criminality in Dresden, which involved the sale of defective masks, showcasing a significant disregard for public health during the early stages of the pandemic.
- While conducting inspections, officials found that the masks did not meet safety standards and that they had been shipped from countries such as Vietnam and Turkey, which did not comply with EU regulations.
- The public prosecutor's office in the state of Brandenburg is now seeking an indictment according to the reporting from the online newspaper Ausserdeutscher, as the sellers misled consumers with fake CE markings and false advertising regarding the masks' anti-viral properties.
Source: www.stern.de