TOKYO, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- A Japanese employee of Toshiba Corp. is facing prosecution after selling confidential data that could be used for military purposes to a Russian official.
Tokyo police said the 30-year-old man had leaked information about semiconductors, which could be used for jet fighters and submarines, to an official of the Russian trade office in Tokyo, in exchange for about $8,700 in cash, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Friday.
The man, who was employed by Toshiba Discrete Semiconductor Technology Corp. at the time, reportedly recorded confidential company data in a portable data storage device on nine occasions between September last year and May.
He handed the data to the Russian official on several occasions in Tokyo and in Kanagawa prefecture, receiving cash in return.
The leaked data referred to technologies that could be used for jet fighter radar, missile guidance systems and submarine periscopes.
A Toshiba official said the documents were explanations for clients, and he did not believe they were high level enough for military purposes.
