Mitsuru Asada

The program was introduced in October 2001, a month after the first outbreak of mad cow disease in the country.

Presiding Judge Kazuo Mizushima slammed Mitsuru Asada, 66, the former chairman of Osaka-based Hannan Corp., for exploiting the program by falsely labeling beef so that it would qualify for subsidies.

But he also condemned the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry over its lack of concern for fraud, concluding the ministry's failure to introduce preventive steps led to this scenario.

Prosecutors had demanded a 12-year prison term for Asada, saying he had spearheaded his firm's involvement in the fraud.

The Japan Times Weekly: June 4, 2005
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