The company also acknowledged in a statement issued Oct. 13 that four people, including former President Kazusaku Tezuka, 67, who were arrested in late September, had admitted to the charges during a police investigation.

"We deeply apologize for breaking the law," the statement said, adding that company executives had long been involved in exporting three-dimensional measuring devices without proper government authorization.

The devices measure cylinders with great precision and can be used on centrifuges employed in uranium enrichment.

Mitutoyo said it would not contest the charges and pledged to cooperate with investigators..

The Japan Times Weekly: Oct. 21, 2006
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