Kyoto farmer faces criminal charges over bird flu outbreak

The Japanese farm ministry and the Kyoto prefecture investigating a bird flu outbreak in a Kyoto poultry farm have decided to file criminal complaints against the company that operates the farm and its president, informed sources have said.

The Japanese farm ministry and the Kyoto prefecture investigating a bird flu outbreak in a Kyoto poultry farm have decided to file criminal complaints against the company that operates the farm and its president, informed sources have said. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the prefecture plan to file charges against Asada Nosan and its president, Hideaki Asada, 41, the source said. The firm, based in Himeji, runs the Funai poultry farm in Tamba and was hit by the bird flu outbreak earlier this year. Authorities believe Mr Asada failed to obey an order to report a possible outbreak of bird flu and was in violation of the law to prevent infectious diseases among livestock and poultry, the sources said. The Kyoto prefectural police are set to launch criminal investigations into the case as soon as charges are filed. It is also likely to be the first criminal investigation conducted for the breach of the livestock and poultry law(Source: ABC Health, March 2004)