Implants scandal: Two Swiss firms in the bribery case involved

When the German corruption investigators, the office and the house of the chief doctor Hamid Afshar-Möller, Klinikum Leer in North Germany, met with you on a couple of strange documents. They identified suspicious payments. In twelve instalments, he should have money. Every Time 1500 Euros. As the reason for the Transfers, 2 x Lucerne" or "2 x Meeting in Switzerland, 22.02 is stated in a note to the example: ". 23. 08.2013, 'new products'".

At first glance, it looks like the German specialist appointments would be carried out in Switzerland and had been paid for it. Only The hospital's own scheduler to the chief medical officer shows that the head of the spine surgery to those times in the hospital was Empty at the operating table. For which he received the money?

The Central office for corruption criminal cases, the Prosecutor's office in Osnabrück last week against the surgeon Afshar-Möller, due to acceptance of benefits and bribery indictment. Also Responsible of two companies in the medical technology industry, operating from Switzerland are accused of. The public Prosecutor's office announced on Monday.

128'000 Euro private plugged in

In the first case, the company Icotec Medical Gmbh in Northern Germany, an offshoot of the company Icotec AG, in the Canton of St. Gallen. The companies are led by CEO Roger Stadler, at the international headquarters of the company in Altstätten. A former squad woman the Icotec in Germany, as well as the chief doctor Afshar-Möller are now accused of corruption in a "particularly serious case". "We confirm that a criminal case against a former employee of Icotec GmbH and therefore also against Icotec is run," said Stadler on Monday on request. "In addition, we are not able to Express ourselves to an ongoing process."

According to the investigators, the cadre's wife and the doctor have agreed, that the surgeon receive from the sale of the Icotec-medicine products to the clinic ten percent Commission. From 2011 to 2016, the doctor, and this 128've plugged in’000 Euro private. The delivered products were used almost 100 percent in the Department of spine specialists. When he left the hospital, went back the turnover to virtually Zero. to disguise

the true reason for the Bank transfers to the doctor, had been disguised Commission payments, according to the investigation, but as professional fees and the like. For example, as daily rates for Icotec-events in Switzerland. Thus, the impression had been given, the doctor "have participated in Meetings, conferences and lectures, or visits, without that there has been a Basis in actual fact". A comparison with the calendar of the hospital has shown.

all of This is a judgment of the labour court of Emden, that made the "Ostfriesen-Zeitung" on Friday in public. The court was not concerned with the alleged corruption, but with the termination of the doctor. But it contains important Details of the affair.

for example, that there was at the surgeon's house-to-house. The criminal had found the tracker among other things, E-Mails, which demonstrate that the doctor the company for the sales made. The former managing Director of Icotec wrote to him, for example: "thank you very much for the wonderful sales of the past".

denied accusations

The accused doctor denies the allegations. They were seized "from the air". He was held "for the company Icotec Medical GmbH from Switzerland, although quite a number of times in the usual context, lectures ( ... )," he is quoted in the judgment of the labour court, but was paid "properly". In court, he claimed also the objection that it was not known by whom the collection of the payments come from.

And he had participated in the rest of the "in connection with his lecturing activities also to video conferences". So he wanted to may be the Argument to counter, he had been from time to time in the hospital and not in Switzerland. The judgment of the labour court is not appealable. For the doctor as well as the former managing Director of Icotec, the presumption of innocence applies.

accused from Basel

The second indictment of the osnabrück-based investigators was directed against the managing Director of the company Arca-Medica with address in German neuenburg am Rhein. The company also has a headquarters in Basel, is currently being liquidated, and the defendant is domiciled, according to the commercial register there. The investigators accuse him to the doctor an unlawful advantage for granted.

the owner of The company and of the doctors have developed from the year 2010, an implant for spine surgery. The doctor had ensured that the prosthesis was used in his clinic. He should be in percentage terms has been in sales with the implant involved. According to the prosecutors, he has collected between 2011 and 2015, a total of 14’000 Euro. The Executive Director of the Arca-Medica has not responded so far to requests. Also in this case, the presumption of innocence applies to both.

For the chief doctor Afshar-Möller is the present case, already the second indictment. Last year it accused the German public Prosecutor in Aurich, Germany, for bodily injury in 53 cases. The process is still to come. Afshar-Möller has used in patients, the artificial disc Cadisc-L. The implant has made in recent weeks headlines.

90 patients out of

surgery of The Recherchedesk of Tamedia made public, that the prosthesis is provided by two Swiss professors were co-developed. The Bernese Professor and star surgeon Max Aebi sat not only as the head of the scientific Advisory Board of the British manufacturer, Ranier Technology. He implanted the plastic disc in Switzerland, but also in at least seven patients. The development also Professor Thomas Steffen was employed at the University of Zurich.

research have shown that the implant was first tested in monkeys. Although results of studies were poor and had to use the company of the prosthesis in a human trial, then, eight months later, commercially sell. Since then, the implant Europe had to be operated out wide, against 90 patients. It had decomposed in her back. That's what happened to a patient of Max Aebi.

The public Prosecutor in Aurich, Germany, accuses the German doctor, he had informed his patients wrong or at least insufficient on the implant. Currently, there is no indication that it is in the case of corruption to the implant Cadisc-L. (Editorial Tamedia)

Created: 10.12.2018, 18:53 Uhr