Justice Dept. Sues Over Defective Body Armor(Japanese Company)

Source: ABC News

The Justice Dept. is suing a Japanese company for allegedly supplying the government with defective body armor, putting thousands of law enforcement officers at risk.

The suit, filed Tuesday, claims Toyobo Co. defrauded government officials, charging the company knowingly sold faulty bulletproof vests -- more than 100,000 of which were purchased by the federal government for federal, state and tribal law enforcement agencies.

Toyobo spokesman Kent Jarrell released a statement to ABC News, saying the company has not seen the complaint, but that the company "expects that the evidence will show the allegations against the Toyobo are without basis."

"Toyobo's actions were proper and prompt and the company was not involved in the design, engineering, production, or sale of the armored manufacturers' vests," the statement said.

At the center of the controversy is a Toyobo product called Zylon, a high-tensile strength polymer fiber used in the manufacture of body armor. Justice Department officials say "Toyobo was aware of significant manufacturing and degradation problems that were inherent in both its fiber and in its manufacturing process."



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3319175&page=1

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

it's free trade! suck it up!

You get what you pay for, as my Grandpa used to say.

China? India? Other?

Toyobo's actions were proper and prompt and the company was not involved in the design, engineering, production, or sale of the armored manufacturers' vests," the statement said.