Breast implant boss jailed

THE boss of PIP, the firm at the centre of a scandal over breast implants, has been jailed.

The founder of Var-based Poly Implant Prostheses, Jean-Claude Mas, is in the Baumettes prison in Marseille after having failed to pay agreed bail money.

Mas was taken in for police questioning in January and was charged with causing “involuntary injuries” as well as being suspected of involvement in “involuntary homicides”, because of possible (but as-yet unproven) links between use of the breast implants and two deaths.

He had been left at liberty under judicial supervision with the requirement to pay €100,000 bail, not to leave the country and not to make health products.

Several other members of the firm are also under investigation in the case.

PIP used a silicone gel that was not of correct medical grade in most of its implants, until they were withdrawn from the market by health authorities at the start of 2010.

Because of the risk of breakages and irritation from the prostheses, the government recommended at the end of December that the 30,000 women who have had PIP implants in France should have them removed. Up to half a million women worldwide are thought to be concerned.

Around 2,500 women with the implants are reportedly preparing a separate case for “aggravated fraud” against the firm, likely to be heard around the end of the year.

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