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Chinese Scientist Sentenced Over Iridium
A Chinese nuclear scientist has been given a suspended death sentence for planting radioactive materials in the office of a business rival, sickening the man and 74 other people, official newspapers reported Monday.
74 other people - sheesh.
Nuclear medicine researcher Gu Jiming stashed a case containing pellets of iridium 192 above ceiling panels at a hospital in the southern city of Guangzhou, the Beijing Evening News reported. Soon after the victim -- identified only by his surname, Liu -- began complaining of fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches and vomiting, the paper said. A medical checkup two months later revealed serious irregularities in his white blood cell count. At that point his office was searched with detection equipment and the radioactive materials discovered.
Makes you want to start wearing a dosimeter to work even if you are a frycook at Shoneys.
Others at the hospital also complained of fatigue, memory loss, bleeding gums and other symptoms, the report said. A nurse who was five months pregnant nearly suffered a miscarriage because of the radiation exposure, it said.
Bad boy... Okay. We got it...
Gu’s research institute and Liu’s hospital had cooperated in forming a laser treatment center in 1997, but the two men had feuded over management, bonuses, economic benefits and other matters.
Glad this guy found his calling in medical research — where he could help quite a few people ... minus 75 ... overall I’m sure that he had a net positive effect on the public health.
"Gu held hatred for Liu in his heart, and lay in wait for a chance at revenge," the Beijing Evening News report said.
Ahah! Dire Revenge™!
Suspended death sentences are usually commuted to life in prison after two years of good behavior. Gu’s assistant, Fang Zhenhua, who had only a primary school education, was also sentenced to 15 years for helping Gu transport and place the iridium.
Tough, being a loyal henchman, isn't it?
Gu obtained the substance by falsifying documents to buy an industrial machine that uses iridium 192 to check welded joints, the paper said. Scientists say iridium could be used to create a radiological "dirty bomb," and its possession is usually tightly controlled.
Glad that these two chumps showed the bad guys how its done. Kind of like John Wayne Gasey sliding some tips to Adolph Hitler. Now we have iridium in the overhead to watch for.
Posted by: Super Hose 2003-09-30
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=19310