A RESEARCHER who claimed to have discovered a drug which slowed the onset of AIDS appeared in Eastern Court yesterday accused of improper advertising.
Paul Ki Ping-ki, 41, was charged with publishing, or causing the publication of, an advertisement likely to lead to the use of medicine for the purpose of treating people to prevent them from contracting the AIDS disease. The charge was laid under the Undesirable Medical Advertisement Ordinance.
Department of Health Principal Medical and Health Officer, Lo Wai-kee, testified that only medical professionals could be authorised to place such advertisements.
Ki - a biochemist with a PhD degree - pleaded not guilty.
The charge relates to a press conference called by Ki on October 22 last year at the Singga Commercial Centre on Connaught Road West.
RTHK reporter Suen Yuk-ping, who attended the conference, told the court yesterday that she had received notice of the event by fax the day before it was staged.
She said Ki announced at the press conference that the Chinese Government had confirmed the safety of his drug, Retrogen. He had described it as ''a potent anti-HIV compound that could slow the progress of AIDS''.
