Ex-Daiichi Sankyo employee faces 18 years for allegedly poisoning wife

Prosecutors on Friday called for an 18-year prison sentence for Keisuke Yoshida, a 42-year-old former employee of pharmaceutical giant Daiichi Sankyo, who is on trial for the methanol poisoning death of his wife.

The trial, presided over by Judge Iichiro Sakata at the Tokyo District Court, is nearing its conclusion, with final defense arguments and the defendant’s statement expected to be heard on the same day. A verdict is scheduled for Oct. 30.

Yoshida has consistently denied the charges, stating during the trial, “I never thought of murdering my wife, nor did I ever have her take methanol.”