By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

About 13 tons of American beef were falsely sold as Australian products five years ago in defiance of a disposal order issued after a case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), was reported in the United States.

The prosecution indicted two men, identified as Seon and Kim, Monday, for having hoarded the American beef from a discount store where Seon worked and having supplied it to big discount store chains and department stores.

In December 2003, when cows suspected of having the disease were found in the U.S. and Seon's company was ordered to dispose of all American beef, he allegedly destroyed seven tons and falsely reported to the company that he had destroyed the entire 29 tons in the store.

Among the remaining 22 tons, Seon delivered 12.7 tons to discount stores and department stores between August and December 2004. The two fabricated expiration dates of the products and labeled them as ``Australian beef,'' raking in 280 million won in revenue. The products sold out.

Seon claimed that they did not distribute about 10 tons of the remaining products, but prosecutors suspect they did, requesting a tax agency audit Kim's company.

The prosecution is considering expanding the investigation into other meat distributors to search for similar cases.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr