Trial of Japan "Gyoza" Poisoning Held in China

Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, July 30 (Jiji Press)--A Chinese court on Tuesday opened a trial of a former temporary food plant worker accused of injecting a pesticide into frozen "gyoza" dumplings, which caused food poisoning in Japan more than five years ago. The trial of 39-year-old Lu Yueting was held for only one day at the Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court in eastern China. He was indicted in August 2010 on charges of injecting a dangerous substance into food. Lu pleaded guilty to the charges, saying he did it. He apologized to all those affected. The gyoza dumplings, spiked with methamidophos, an organic phosphorus pesticide, were imported into Japan, where they led to 10 cases of food poisoning among three families in Chiba and Hyogo Prefectures between December 2007 and January 2008. Speculation is rife over why China chose to hold the trial nearly three years after the suspect was indicted. The incident not only triggered concern about the safety of Chinese food products in Japan but also harmed China's reputation among the Japanese public. The two countries are currently at loggerheads over the Senkaku Islands in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture. The timing of the trial may have something to do with the current state of relations with Japan, said a source familiar with bilateral affairs. China may be hoping to use the trial to underscore its determination to address food safety issues, the source added. The 10 Japanese fell ill after eating gyoza made by Shijiazhuang-based Tianyang Food. Of them, a girl became critically ill. In the one-day hearing, prosecutors officially acknowledged damage to nine of the 10 Japanese sufferers, including the girl, because they failed to determine how badly the remaining one was affected. Japanese and Chinese police worked together to investigate the incident. In March 2010, Chinese public security officials announced the arrest of Lu. He told investigators that he injected the gyoza with pesticide three times by using a syringe as a way of getting back at the company for poor working conditions and pay. Following the incident, Tianyang Food's dumplings were collected, but some were sold illegally in China, causing food poisoning in the country as well. In China, the crime of injecting a poisonous substance is punished with at least 10 years in prison or the death penalty. A severe punishment is expected, an observer said, pointing out the court said it is a serious case. China restricts foreigners from sitting in on court cases. However, on this occasion, the authorities opened the door to two Japanese journalists. END