Chinese authorities have formally charged 60 suspects over the production and distribution of the melamine-tainted powdered milk. Aside from the six deaths, over 300,000 infants became ill after drinking the milk.
"Twenty-one of them went on trial between Dec. 26 and 31, including four executives of the Sanlu Group," said Zhang Deli, chief prosecutor in the Hebei Province.
"The court will announce the verdicts soon," Zhang told the ongoing annual session of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress.
Tian Wenhua, Chinese dairy giant Sanlu's former board chairwoman and general manager, stood trial in Shijiazhuang, the capital of the Hebei province, on Dec. 31. The group's former deputy general managers, Wang Yuliang and Hang Zhiqi, as well as Wu Jusheng, a former executive, stood trial with her. The four were arrested on Sept. 26, according to Xinhua.
From August 2 to September 12, the Sanlu Group distributed some 904 tons of the tainted formula to 22 companies, making almost $7 million on the sales. On September 14, Sanlu admitted that its baby food had been contaminated with melamine, a chemical that can cause severe kidney damage.
A total of 1,173 suspects in the Hebei Province have been arrested in connection with the case and 1,244 government officials have been investigated on corruption charges, according to Xinhua.
The tainted milk in China led to a world-wide ban on the Chinese-produced product in Asia, Europe and North America.
