Arkopharma 's founder, ex-CEO and current supervisory board chairman sentenced for unintentional homicides

Last wednesday april the 2nd, french Cour de Cassation rejected the appeal made by Max Rombi, former ex-CEO, founder and chairman of the supervisory board of Arkopharma (aka Health From The Sun). This rejection confirms Max Rombi sentenced to serve two years in jail for unintentional homicides.

Reminder of the facts
In 2005, Max Rombi was sentenced for unintentional homicides in relation to the death of two young women whom having absorbded asiatitrats pills, containing toxic chinese herbs imported by Arkopharma without control of any kind, developed chronic kidney failure and ovarian cancer. The sentence was confirmed one year later by Aix-en-Provence french cour of appeal which Arkopharma 's founder, ex-CEO and current supervisory board chairman appealed again in a last resort. That last resort was rejected making finally mandatory Max Rombi 's imprisonment.

Complementary facts
In a similar case, where two young women developed chronic kidney failure after absorbing the very same asiatitrats pills, Max Rombi was only charged for fraud and misleading advertisement and not recognised guilty of unintentional injuries.

Reflexion
Besides the lack of severity of the sentence considering the gravity of the fact, it is absolutely astonishing and disgraceful to observe french justice finds Max Rombi guilty in one case and not in the other despite of the striking similarity (same pills: asiatitrats, same deceases: chronic kidney failure).

IF YOU'RE AWARE OF ANY OTHER PROCEDURE, SO JUSTICE CAN BE DONE, OR IF YOU LOST YOUR KIDNEYS AFTER HAVING ABSORBED CHINESE HERBS PILLS OR IF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO DID OR IN SUPPORT TO THE VICTIMES, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENT. PLEASE HELP US. THANK YOU.

What happened since may 2007?

Following the shameful sentence of the Appeal Court of Toulouse (France), one of the victims decided to go to the "cour de cassation" (the other victim couldn't do it as she was not informed in time to do so). A report was being constituted when Max Rombi decided to withdraw and according to french law that means the case is over with no additional action possible.

It is disgraceful to observe justice cannot follow its path because of the reaction of Max Rombi (ex-CEO founder and current president of the supervisory board of Arkopharma) when some of the products manufactured by his firm are involved in deceases, sicknesses including nephropathies and cancers.


If you are aware of any addtional action that can be taken so justice can be done, please do not hesitate to let us know by leaving your comment below. Thank you.

Max Rombi condemned for fraud and...

...discharged of unintentional injuries. Rubbish! Furthermore the Appeal Court of Toulouse (France) reduced the penalty from €15,000 to €12,500 for both victims who developed nephropathies and lost their kidneys after having consumed Arkopharma's asiatitrat pills. There's no longer need for hiding the hand when an offender throws a stone. The tribunal will hide it for him. And why not giving him the stone to throw? After all there's a lot of money to make out of it! Because by letting Max Rombi, Arkopharma and the pharmacist go there will be more victims, more suffering that people supposed to serve and protect have delibarately let go through the net of justice. Thus why after 14 years of procedure the general attorney didn't require an exemplary sentence against Arkopharma's boss Max Rombi and Jean-Bruno Maury the pharmacist? It really stinks! Once more what are the victims complaining about? Really what for?

Case of the asiatitrats (Toulouse, France) : Appeal Court's verdict next May 24th 2007

Last Thursday March the 22nd 2007 session at Toulouse (France)'s 3rd Correctionnal Appeal Court, in relation to the prosecution of Max Rombi, ex-CEO and founder and current supervisory board chairman of Arkopharma (aka Health From The Sun ) accused of "unintentional" injuries and fraud, evolved more dynamically than April 19th 2006 session which concluded with the shameful discharge of Max Rombi.

Interrogated by the Jury's President, Max Rombi said that in despite of the doubt regarding the chinese herbs and following Arkopharma's principal pharmacist and Arkopharma's chemist chief, who are not skilled in Traditional Chinese Medecine at all, and for who the powders(1) apparently didn't constitute a danger for health, he decided to launch the commercialization of the asiatitrats without even waiting for expert feedback from Professor Paul But(2) of University of Hong Kong. Where is the unintentionality there? In a quick move to justify his decision, Max Rombi also added asiatitrats never were very profitable for Arkopharma (3)... What about human lives? The victims had to pay an expensive price and still paying for Max Rombi and Arkopharma 's money appetite gambling with millions of innocent human lives!

The pharmacist of Toulouse (France), Jean-Bruno Maury, reckogned having bought Arkopharma's powders(1) and also reckogned having sold circ. 450kg of "medecine" without really knowing what was inside in his blind and irresponsible trust in his pal Max Rombi.

In relation to the expertise file, the prosecution remarked there was no reason for it to be ignored whereas Nice (France)'s Correctionnal Tribunal and Aix-en-Provence (France) Appeal's Court retained it sentencing Max Rombi to serve two years in jail and €45.000 of penalty for "unintentional" manslaughter. The prosecution also remarked that in despite of the queries for multiple expertises these queries never where taken into account and deplored the doubtuous time taken for the procedure that started circ. 17 years now.

The verdict is scheduled for next Thursday May the 24th 2007.

(1) According to a Louisville Clinic of Traditional Chinese Medecine expert (...) instead of an aqueous extract (water decoction), the whole herb was administered. Water decoction is the principle method of preparation in traditional Chinese herbal medicine because toxic constituents are so seldom water-soluble.(...)

(2) On June the 12th 2004, discussing toxicological aspects of Traditional Chinese Medecine, Pr. Paul But (Chinese University of Hong Kong) said that publicity over the past 10 years about the nephrotoxicity of TCM materials containing aristolochic acid had unfortunately resulted in the introduction of the term “Chinese herb nephrology". Professor But also emphasised that quality control, training of suppliers and the provision of more information about the medicines could all help reduce the risk of toxic events occurring. (src: http://www.pjonline.com/Editorial/20040724/forum/forum_tcm.html)

(3) Phytotherapy Arkopharma's poorest activity? According to latest Arkopharma's annual reports, phytotherapy activity represents more than 55% of Arkopharma's turnover. Let's remind also Arkopharma's asiatitrats were advertised as a "weight-loss" product and as the article published in french magazine Le Point last august 17th 2006, "Charlatans of the Thinness", in which Max Rombi and Arkopharma are mentioned, states "weight-loss" products represent 30% of food complements turnover with Health From the Sun 's 4-3-2-1 diet as locomotive and its 12% market share. Among all its products, those of the "slimming" (or "weight loss") range are those who always contributed the most to Arkopharma (aka Health from the Sun) 's turnover.

What are the victims complaining about?

Of almost nothing! Seeking a solution to lose weight they find asiatitrats arkocapsules from Arkopharma which, sold in drugstores without proper license, are announced as remedies helping to lose weight whereas what the victims will lose will be their kidneys. For some even their lives...

The kidneys destroyed, the victims survive thanks to the work of the healthcare professionals which methods must be to the level of the poison inflected by Arkopharma's asiatitrats and therefore strong enough to compensate missing vital functions to the best. Non transplanted victims have access to dialysis to eliminate toxins that accumulate in their organism and to maintain the balance of the water and the composition of the blood. Transplanted victims use a complete set of anti-rejection medecines which side effects comprise increased risk of cancer, osteoporosis, arterial hypertension, gengivitis, abnormal hair growth, alopetia, increased level of sugar in the blood, increased level of cholesterol, fatigue, etc. These are the first consequences non-directly linked to the absorption of Arkopharma's asiatitrats arkocapsules.

Because anti-rejection drugs block immunity defenses to minimize the risks of rejection, the victims are very exposed to infections and ilnesses risks. The victims health is not the only factor that has been seriously undermined. But also life quality has been considerably reduced considering the victims are subject to countless privations due to the stricts conditions of the medication. Thus the victims know they're strongly advised to avoid sun exposure. So long for the summer holidays at the seaside...

Profesional and financial difficulties are other consequences non-directly linked to the absorption of Arkopharma's asiatitrats. Jobs choices are limited. Because of their fatigue, victims have to take care to pick up, when they have the choice, a non-fulltime professional activity not physically constraining. No wonder why victims also suffer from professional discrimination. Getting a job is much more difficult for the victims. This is not without financial consequences which accentuates even more financial discriminations they're... victims of! Difficulties to get credits - needless to say mortgages - , expensive insurances policies, etc.

The victim is not the only one undermined but also all the family of the victim. The well being of the "home" has been dramatically disturbed as a non-direct consequence of the absorption of Arkopharma's asiatitrats arkocapsules. Two years of jail sentence and €45.000 for "unintentional" manslaughters will never bring back a mum to her little kids and a wife to a husband and cannot even be credited as "financial compensation". A penalty of €30.000 for fraud and misleading advertisement to Max Rombi - Arkopharma's ex-CEO and founder and current chairman of the supervisory board - who's well known of the french courts - and a discharge of "unintentional" injuries is nothing but a sick joke!

So what are the victims complaining about?

Arkopharma's ex-CEO, founder & current chairman of the supervisory board - Max Rombi - sentenced for unintentional homicides

Aix-en-provence (France) Appel Court has pronounced an attenuated confirmation of Nice (France)'s Correctional Tribunal's sentence of November the 17th 2005. Max Rombi - Arkopharma's founder and ex-CEO and current chairman of the supervisory board - has been sentenced to serve two years in jail instead of the three initially sentenced and to a maximum penalty of €45,000 for unintentional homicides.

Reminder of the facts

In November 2000, short after Regine Crispino's decease at 40years old following a urinal cancer, Nice (France)'s tribunal opens a case. One year later another young woman, Valerie Jouffret, dies aged 34 of a similar pathology. Both victims did follow in the early 90's a diet involving asiatitrats arkocapsules comercialized by Arkopharma (aka Health From The Sun ) without any official market licence. Asiatitrats pills were announced by Arkopharma as having "weight-loss" properties. However none of the chinese herbs involved don't seem to be used in traditional chinese medecine in preparations for "weight loss" purposes. Furthermore one of the herbs - aristolochia fang ji - is known to be a carcerigen agent. Arkopharma imported circ. 750kg of aristolochia fang ji for its asiatitrats capsules. In France around 2,000 women were exposed and even more in Belgium where 1.5 millio pills were sold.

Reflexion

Mr Rombi is well known of french courts and has been repeatedly condemned for the same charges. Charges in-crescendo considering the homicides... In despite of that he's still chairman of the supervisory board and majority shareholder of Arkopharma (aka Health From The Sun) a company that still commercializing bogus products such as NTB cigarettes.

• Sept. the 17th 1990 - Fined for FF15,000 for selling pharmaceutical specialities without official market licence and illicite advertisement in favour of those products.
  
• Sept. the 5th 1995 - Fined for FF15,000 for commercialisation of a medecine without official market licence.
  
• Dec. the 7th 1995 - Fined for FF130,000 including FF50,000 for fraud, misleading advertisement, commercialization of pharmaceutical specialities without official market licence, selling secret remedies and infractions to the rules in relation with medecine advertisement.
  
• 1998 - Sentenced for fraud and misleading advertisement. Mr Rombi avait commercialized another diet product - Bio 2000 - without any legal notices.
  
• July the 5th 2006 - Sentenced for fraud and misleading advertisement for the asiatitrats (sentence appealed)
  
• November the 13th 2006 - Sentenced for "unintentional" homicides.

Case of the asiatitrat (Nice, France) : Appeal verdict scheduled for next Monday November the 13th

Aix-en-Provence Appeal Court's verdict following last september the 18th session is due for next monday november the 13th. Last september the 18th the General Procurer required the confirmation of the sentence pronounced one year earlier in Nice (3 years in jail for unintentional homicides and a fine of €30.000) against Max Rombi, ex-CEO founder and current president of the supervisory board of Arkopharma. This verdict is specially important considering the sentence pronounced by the Correctional Tribunal of Toulouse (France) absolving Max Rombi of the charges of unintentional injuries on two young victims whom absorbed asiatitrats pills.