WASHINGTON, May 08 (Reuters) - Four companies will plead guilty to participating in a criminal conspiracy to fix vitamin prices and two former executives will do jail time, the Justice Department announced Friday.

Merck KgaA and Degussa Huels AG of Germany and the Nepera Inc. unit of Cambrex Corp. and Reilly Industries Inc. of the United States will pay fines.

Merck will plead guilty to fixing the price of vitamin C from 1991 until 1995, paying a $14 million fine. Degussa-Huels will pay a $13 million fine, Nepera a $4 million fine and Reilly industries a $2 million fine for fixing the price of niacin, or niacinamide, or both, from January 1992 to June 1995.

Roger Noack, former president of Nepera, will serve eight months in prison and pay a fine of $50,000, and David Purpi, former vice president of Nepera, will serve one year and one day in prison and pay a criminal fine of $100,000.

Earlier, Roche Holding Ltd., BASF AG and Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for fixing the prices of vitamins.

Assistant Attorney General Joel Klein said that the prosecutions will continue.

http://www.doctorbob.com/ - 05/10/2000