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A former pasture manager who lied about the number of cows her company owned in a bid to attract investors has been jailed.
Kumiko Mikajiri, former president of a now bankrupt pasture, was sentenced to 34 months in prison for inflating the cattle count in a cow ownership scheme.
Mikajiri "provided to about 100 customers flyers that said 'you own a cow'... despite a significant shortage in their stock," a police spokesman said earlier.
The company reportedly had only half the herd it claimed.
The pasture, in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, went bankrupt in August 2011 as customers rushed to cancel contracts, under which they were told to expect high dividends from sales of calves born to cows they owned.
Lawyers representing victims demanded Mikajiri be sentenced for the more serious crime of fraud, rather than for lying in a contract, the Mainichi Shimbun daily reported.
© (c) 2014 AFP
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CrazyJoe
The punishment for economic offences is too light in Japan. There were 192 victims (under the indictment).
bookowls
I don't disagree that the sentence is 'light', but it's certainly befuddling when some people are given less time in jail for murder.
funny car
For a blurb written on a flyer?? If you and three other people jointly own a cow, guess what? We say "You own a cow". In fact, you would most likely say "I own a cow".
If she gets near three years for that, then the people selling health and weight-loss products via TV commercials should clearly be getting life.
Row Bur
If only she stole tens of millions..a promotion and bonusses would be hers.