Man commits suicide over tainted confectionery in Fukuoka

Friday 21st November, 09:23 AM JST

FUKUOKA —

A man committed suicide Thursday due to his apparent involvement in the contamination of a confectionery manufacturer’s product, police said. The Fukuoka prefectural government detected a large amount of toxic fenitrothion (insecticide) in a mochi (rice cake) product made last month. The product, Enmochi, was made by MochiKichi, a confectionery company based in Fukuoka.

The man, in his 40s, was found dead in the mountains of Iizuka City Thursday afternoon. He was responsible for overseeing the production line at MochiKichi, and implied he was involved, in a fax sent Thursday morning, which said “I didn’t think the problem would become this big. I had absolutely no intention of killing anyone.”

Police are in the process of confirming his involvement in the contamination

Wire reports

12 Comments

Altria at 10:11 AM JST - 21st November

This is yesterday's news, get with the program!

What's the chance this guy's been made to take the fall?
thepro at 10:54 AM JST - 21st November

So people really do commit suicide in the mountains like cops say when they can't find someone?
indiboy at 11:57 AM JST - 21st November

Do they have a really a big heart to face the life, killing himself is the not the solution
Disillusioned at 12:30 PM JST - 21st November

“I didn’t think the problem would become this big. I had absolutely no intention of killing anyone.”

What a great guy! Selling poisoned food that he knew would be mostly consumed by children. Society is better off without this scum bag. And, I bet his family still get his full pension and life insurance payout, which is a lot more than they would have got if he went to jail.
seesaw at 12:42 PM JST - 21st November

life has so little value in this society...regretfully. Everyone seems to find solutions by committing suicide to avoid facing charges for the crimes/mistakes/mismanagement..they had done..
smithinjapan at 12:46 PM JST - 21st November

Put poison in people's food and then kill oneself to avoid taking responsibility when it ended up being 'a bigger deal than one thought'. So my question is, was it worth it?

What a waste, all around... and all over saving a few bucks.
tkoind2 at 12:54 PM JST - 21st November

Sad, stupid and pointless.
ptolemy at 03:34 PM JST - 21st November

I bet he ate some of the tainted MochiKichi products. So long dirt bag.
Larry at 04:35 PM JST - 21st November

what
eresay at 10:10 PM JST - 21st November

Very honorable
BlackFlag at 01:07 AM JST - 22nd November

ok, bye then
bdiego at 05:03 AM JST - 22nd November

“I didn’t think the problem would become this big. I had absolutely no intention of killing anyone.” It says what it says.

The American who imported a Canadian cow with mad cow disease had no intention of killing people or placing an international quarantine on US beef. But it happened, and it is what it is. Is it so hard to believe that that incident was not an American conspiracy, and that he didn't intend to kill people? But the fact is, he knew exactly what he was doing, and the fact that he could end up killing people by illegally importing cows - he lied on his manifest knowing the cow could be infected.