Misleading media reports regarding a statement given by a TÜV Rheinland manager about the company’s role in the scandal surrounding Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) products
01-13-12Cologne/Paris
Over the past few days, the media has – based on a report issued by the French arm of the news agency Reuters on 9 January – incorrectly portrayed various aspects of TÜV Rheinland’s involvement in the approval and inspection of breast implants manufactured by the French company PIP.
TÜV Rheinland would like to clarify the following points: The statement made by a TÜV Rheinland employee before the investigative authorities (on 30 March 2011) that was quoted in the reports has been incorrectly reproduced with regard to one central point.
The evidence quoted in the media, to the effect that TÜV Rheinland doubted the documents submitted by PIP before the fraud was discovered, is false. In actual fact, the employee stated that, in retrospect, that is, with the state of knowledge at the time of his statement (March 2011), he assumed that PIP had presented false documents in order to obtain the certification fraudulently. The former president of PIP, Jean-Claude Mas, has now confirmed this to the authorities, thus admitting to the deception.
Representatives of TÜV Rheinland have not “admitted” anything to the authorities, but rather have issued a comprehensive statement in full cooperation with the investigative authorities and in the interest of the women concerned. We will continue to contribute constructively to uncovering PIP’s criminal business practices.