農水省、日ハムの刑事告発検討 | 英語のニュース

National News

Farm ministry to file complaints against Nippon Ham unit executives

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said Aug. 14 that it will file criminal complaints with police against three managers of Nippon Food Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Meat Packers Inc., on suspicion of defrauding the government through a beef buyback program.

The ministry said it will take similar action against a Nippon Meat — better known as Nippon Ham — senior managing director for suspected destruction of related evidence.

At the center of the case is 1.3 tons of imported beef that Nippon Food passed off as domestic beef and sold to the Japan Ham & Sausage Processors Cooperative Association under the buyback program

The program was intended to bail out the domestic cattle industry battered by the outbreak of mad cow disease in Japan last September.

Nippon Ham President Hiroji Okoso was summoned by the ministry for questioning during which ministry officials asked the subsidiary, Nippon Food Inc., to suspend its beef-related business activities and Nippon Ham to suspend supplies of beef to the subsidiary.

Okoso told reporters, "I feel responsible, but I have no intention of resigning under the circumstances."

"We will promptly take the requested action," Okoso said, adding the company will announce measures to prevent a recurrence of the fraud and details of in-house punishment shortly.

He also said his company has suspended all capital spending after the scandal had caused sales to drop more than 40 percent.

Shukan ST: Aug. 23, 2002

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National News Farm ministry to file complaints against Nippon Ham unit executives The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said Aug. 14 that it will file criminal complaints with police against three managers of Nippon Food Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Meat Packers Inc., on suspicion of defrauding the government through a beef buyback program. The ministry said it will take similar action against a Nippon Meat — better known as Nippon Ham — senior managing director for suspected destruction of related evidence. At the center of the case is 1.3 tons of imported beef that Nippon Food passed off as domestic beef and sold to the Japan Ham & Sausage Processors Cooperative Association under the buyback program The program was intended to bail out the domestic cattle industry battered by the outbreak of mad cow disease in Japan last September. Nippon Ham President Hiroji Okoso was summoned by the ministry for questioning during which ministry officials asked the subsidiary, Nippon Food Inc., to suspend its beef-related business activities and Nippon Ham to suspend supplies of beef to the subsidiary. Okoso told reporters, "I feel responsible, but I have no intention of resigning under the circumstances." "We will promptly take the requested action," Okoso said, adding the company will announce measures to prevent a recurrence of the fraud and details of in-house punishment shortly. He also said his company has suspended all capital spending after the scandal had caused sales to drop more than 40 percent. Shukan ST: Aug. 23, 2002 (C) All rights reserved