Japanese prosecutors have indicted at least four executives of a company suspected of illegally exporting products that could be used in nuclear weapons development.
The former president of the Mitutoyo Corporation, Kazusaka Tezuka, was among at least three others charged Thursday, with violating foreign trade control laws.
At least five executives of the company, including those indicted today, were arrested last month as part of the investigation.
The indictments are connected to exports of precision measuring equipment from Japan to Malaysia in 2001, without getting the required permission.
Japanese media reports said Mitutoyo's measuring devices were found in Libya during inspections two years ago by the International Atomic Energy Association and may have come through a Malaysian company.
Exports of technology that could be used in nuclear weapons manufacture are strictly regulated in Japan.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.