[THE INVESTOR] Prosecutors on June 14 filed an arrest warrant for John Lee, the former head of the local unit of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser.
Lee, currently CEO of Google Korea, has been under investigation over Oxy’s toxic humidifier sterilizer that allegedly caused dozens of deaths and illnesses in South Korea since 2011.
Lee led the South Korean unit of the consumer goods company from June 2005 to May 2010. At the time, Oxy was selling its harmful sterilizer product.
Prosecutors suspect Lee did not take due measures even after receiving complaints from customers over the side effects of the product. He is also accused of false advertising that claimed the product was safe for children despite its safety not being confirmed.
The court will review the warrant request on June 16. Lee, a Korean-American, is the first foreign executive involved in the case for whom prosecutors are seeking an arrest warrant.
Lee has been summoned twice as a suspect, but has so far denied allegations that he was aware of the product’s toxicity, according to prosecutors.
The humidifier disinfectant case came to light after four pregnant women died of lung problems in 2011. A government-led investigation confirmed a connection between the deaths and the sterilizers.
Earlier, Shin Hyun-woo, Lee’s predecessor at Oxy’s helm, was indicted in connection with the scandal, along with two other former and current company officials.
