The under-secretary of Health of Buenos Aires province, Alberto Costa, who was wanted by the police under suspicion that he was a member of a medicine adulteration ring turned himself to the courts.

Federal Judge Norberto Oyarbide yesterday issued an arrest warrant against Costa, suspected of having worked with the head of the bank clerks' union, Juan José Zanola and Néstor Lorenzo, the owner of a pharmaceutical company that allegedly sold counterfeit medicines at public and private health centres. Zanola and Lorenzo are currently under arrest.

Costa's attorney, Fernando Burlando told the press today that his client was the victims of a "regrettable misunderstanding."

• Judge says top official may be arrested over medicine mafia case