BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Beijing prosecutors have approved the arrest of three for involvement in a mercury-poisoning case which was wrongly blamed on a can of Sprite.
Xicheng District prosecutors approved the arrest of Ma Sai, 21, in mid-April on suspicion of damaging commercial reputation, said procuratorate publicity officer Wu Xinhua.
They also approved the arrest of Ma's lover, Liu Xiaojing, 28, and Gao Xingyuan, 24, on suspicion of attempted murder, Wu said.
Investigations show Liu secretly added mercury to Ma's meal or drink on three occasions from Nov. 3 to 7 last year, according to the Xicheng District procuratorate.
Ma did not realize until the third occasion when he sipped a can of Sprite and vomited mercury beads while having a meal with Liu in a restaurant in Xicheng District on Nov. 7, 2009.
Ma was immediately rushed to hospital and an examination confirmed he had been poisoned by mercury.
Ma realized Liu had intentionally put the toxic chemical into the soft drink after he called police, but he collaborated with Liu and kept the poisoning secret, according to the Xicheng District procuratorate.
Liu, the mother of a young girl, had a secret affair with Ma but a dispute prompted her to poison him, the procuratorate said.
The procuratorate said he sought advice from Gao, a security guard in an office building, in October last year. Gao suggested poisoning Ma with mercury.
The date for the case's court hearings are yet to be decided, Wu said.
In January, a 13-year-old Beijing student also claimed to be poisoned after drinking Sprite. He confessed in March he ate mercury from a broken thermometer out of curiosity and, afraid his parents would scold him, he put the remaining mercury in a can of Sprite and claimed he was poisoned after drinking it, according to Beijing police.
Coca Cola, the producer of Sprite, said in January the company has a stringent quality control system and its products are safe and in line with China's food and drink safety standards.
Xicheng District prosecutors approved the arrest of Ma Sai, 21, in mid-April on suspicion of damaging commercial reputation, said procuratorate publicity officer Wu Xinhua.
They also approved the arrest of Ma's lover, Liu Xiaojing, 28, and Gao Xingyuan, 24, on suspicion of attempted murder, Wu said.
Investigations show Liu secretly added mercury to Ma's meal or drink on three occasions from Nov. 3 to 7 last year, according to the Xicheng District procuratorate.
Ma did not realize until the third occasion when he sipped a can of Sprite and vomited mercury beads while having a meal with Liu in a restaurant in Xicheng District on Nov. 7, 2009.
Ma was immediately rushed to hospital and an examination confirmed he had been poisoned by mercury.
Ma realized Liu had intentionally put the toxic chemical into the soft drink after he called police, but he collaborated with Liu and kept the poisoning secret, according to the Xicheng District procuratorate.
Liu, the mother of a young girl, had a secret affair with Ma but a dispute prompted her to poison him, the procuratorate said.
The procuratorate said he sought advice from Gao, a security guard in an office building, in October last year. Gao suggested poisoning Ma with mercury.
The date for the case's court hearings are yet to be decided, Wu said.
In January, a 13-year-old Beijing student also claimed to be poisoned after drinking Sprite. He confessed in March he ate mercury from a broken thermometer out of curiosity and, afraid his parents would scold him, he put the remaining mercury in a can of Sprite and claimed he was poisoned after drinking it, according to Beijing police.
Coca Cola, the producer of Sprite, said in January the company has a stringent quality control system and its products are safe and in line with China's food and drink safety standards.
