The Debrecen District Court prosecuted the woman who sold illegal medicine in Debrecen. As early as April 2021, the prosecutor’s office charged the woman with the crime of counterfeiting drugs for trafficking and possession. In the indictment for the execution of the sentence, the prosecutor’s office proposed that the district court impose a fine on the accused on the basis of the content of the documents without holding a trial.
On June 4, 2021, the court sentenced the accused with no criminal record, without a trial, to a fine of HUF 300,000.
According to the facts established by the court, the woman has been operating her shop in Debrecen for a long time, where she trades in herbal products. The store conducted an investigation on September 16, 2020, by the investigating authority, during which illegal drugs were seized from the drawer of the seller’s counter, as well as from a locker room, which was seized. Hundreds of potency-enhancing tablets as well as several sachets of potency-enhancing gels.
The National Institute of Pharmacy and Food Health examined the seized products and found that one type of tablet was considered an illegal drug in Hungary, but the other products did not have a marketing authorization. Some medicines contained substances that would be subject to prescription in Hungary if they had a marketing authorization. Medicinal products containing the active substances sildenafil and tadalafil are indicated for the treatment of dementia in men and their continued use is not recommended. If this happens, their application will require regular professional review. One of the seized products is likely to mislead consumers due to the presence of a synthetic not indicated in the composition. This product is a counterfeit drug.
The accused does not have a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s or pharmaceutical wholesaler’s license, her activity related to medicines is considered an illegal, illegal retail activity, as a pharmacy can arrange for the purchase and service of medicines to patients. The use of seized medicines poses a serious health risk due to their unclear origin and quality, and their unsupervised use, and the seized kit also contains a product counterfeit with a drug substance.
Upon receipt of the sentence, the defendant and her counsel filed a request for a hearing within the legal time limit, as the woman sought relief from the amount of the fine imposed. The sentence was thus not finalized at that time, the court set a date for the preparatory hearing in the case.
The District Court of Debrecen held a preparatory meeting on October 7, 2021. The woman admitted to committing the crime in accordance with the indictment and waived her right to a trial, which she accepted by court order. The court of first instance found the accused guilty of a crime of counterfeiting medicines and therefore sentenced her to a fine of HUF 220,000, which is less severe than the fine in the penitentiary. In reaching the milder judgment, the court took into account the woman’s personal circumstances as well as the passage of time.
The judgment of the Debrecen District Court is not final, the prosecutor has set aside three working days to file a statement of appeal, while the accused and her counsel have taken note of the decision.
debrecenitorvenyszek.birosag.hu
Image: illustration.
