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NISSO HEAD GETS 4-YEAR TERM FOR SHIPPING WASTE TO UTSUNOMIYA, JAPAN

KYODO via COMTEX

UTSUNOMIYA, Japan,19 March 2002 -- The Utsunomiya District Court on Tuesday sentenced the president of a Japanese waste-disposal company to four years in prison for shipping garbage containing hazardous materials to the Philippines in 1999. In addition to the prison term, Hiromi Ito, 52, president of Nisso Ltd. in Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture, was fined 5 million yen. Ito faced charges such as violation of the waste management and foreign exchange and foreign trade control laws. According to prosecutors' closing argument, Ito conspired with Japanese shipbuilder Katsuhiro Mizuguchi, 64, and others to ship 2,160 tons of waste containing such items as disposable plastic syringes, diapers and sanitary napkins to the Philippines. They exported garbage in 122 containers to the Philippines from a Tokyo port in July and October 1999 without obtaining permission from the Japanese government, the argument said. The pair also falsely claimed the waste shipped to the country was "recyclable paper." Also, from April to May 1999, Nisso entrusted the disposal of some 2,580 tons of garbage to a construction firm that was not officially permitted to dispose of it, it said. Ito's lawyers admitted to the illegal export, but claimed he was innocent of the charge of illegal disposal.

Mizuguchi was earlier sentenced to three years in prison in line with prosecutors' demand for illegally exporting waste to the Philippines with Nisso. He is appealing. 2002 Kyodo News

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