(Yicai  Global) April 11 -- Sunflower Pharmaceutical says ex-Chairman Guan  Yanbin is doing well after the controlling shareholder was arrested on  suspicion of murder earlier this year.

His ex-wife Zhang Xiaolan, who is in a persistent vegetative state, is also doing well, the Harbin-based kids' medicine maker said in a statement.

The  case is separate from the company's business, Sunflower emphasized  after its stock [SHE:002737] dived 9.8 percent intraday to CNY17.3  (USD2.58) yesterday. It is traded 1 percent lower at CNY17.98 as of 1.45  p.m. Beijing time today.

Police  in Heilongjiang province arrested Guan, 65, on Jan. 29 for intentional  homicide, state-backed news site The Paper reported yesterday, though it  was unable to furnish details about the supposed victim. The case is  still on-going.

Guan  holds a 35.8 share of the company, directly and indirectly, the company  confirmed. Guan's shareholding has not changed despite his  apprehension.

Guan  resigned as the firm's chairman and general manager on Jan 1 when he  left all posts and his two daughters succeeded him as the chairman and  general manager. Guan still enjoys his shareholder rights, the company  stated.

The  company posted a 16 percent rise in operating income to CNY4.5 billion  last year, of which over one-quarter came from the Eastern China region.  Net profit attributable to shareholders for the first quarter is  forecast to have grown between 5 percent and 15 percent to between  CNY150 million (USD22.3 million) and CNY170 million yuan, Sunflower  added.

Editor: William Clegg