Police, prosecutors apologize to 2 men over illicit probe
KYODO NEWS - 3 minutes ago - 20:13 | All, Japan
Tokyo police and prosecutors on Friday apologized in person to two men over their wrongful arrest and indictment in 2020 in a case involving the suspected unauthorized export of sensitive equipment.
The apology comes after the finalization last week of a Tokyo High Court ruling that ordered the metropolitan government and state to compensate Masaaki Okawara, president of Ohkawara Kakohki Co., and Junji Shimada, one of the company's former directors.
Tetsuro Kamata, deputy superintendent general of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Hirohide Mori, head of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's public security bureau, apologized for the stress the men had to undergo due to the investigation during a visit to the head office of the Yokohama-based machinery maker.
Okawara, 76, who was detained for nearly a year, said in response, "It would have been better if the apology had come much earlier."
The family of Shizuo Aishima, a former adviser to the company who died in February 2021 at age 72 after falling ill during detention, was not present during the meeting.
In a statement issued through their lawyer, the family said they "cannot accept an apology under the current circumstances."
During the meeting, Kamata mistakenly called Shimada, 72, "Yamamoto," while Mori also referred to the company by the wrong name.
Kamata told reporters afterward that authorities failed to thoroughly investigate the case, which involved the export of spray-drying apparatus that investigators suspected could be used in the process of making biological weapons.
"We will review (the case) carefully without preconceptions," he said.
The company has been seeking a third-party review of the investigation, but the police and prosecutors have expressed reluctance to accept such a probe.
Okawara, Shimada and Aishima were arrested and indicted between March and June 2020 on suspicion of exporting spray dryers capable of producing biological agents without authorization. But the prosecutors withdrew the indictment in July 2021.
In late May, the Tokyo High Court ruled the investigation of the three men was illegal and ordered the metropolitan government and state to pay about 166 million yen ($1.14 million) in damages to the plaintiffs.
Related coverage:
Compensation by Tokyo gov't, state finalized over illicit probe
High court orders Tokyo gov't, state to compensate for illicit probe
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Kyodo News
8 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Police, prosecutors apologize to 2 men over illicit probe
KYODO NEWS - 2 hours ago - 20:13 | All, Japan Tokyo police and prosecutors on Friday apologized in person to two men over their wrongful arrest and indictment in 2020 in a case involving the suspected unauthorized export of sensitive equipment. The apology comes after the finalization last week of a Tokyo High Court ruling that ordered the metropolitan government and state to compensate Masaaki Okawara, president of Ohkawara Kakohki Co., and Junji Shimada, one of the company's former directors. Tetsuro Kamata, deputy superintendent general of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Hirohide Mori, head of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's public security bureau, apologized for the stress the men had to undergo due to the investigation during a visit to the head office of the Yokohama-based machinery maker. Okawara, 76, who was detained for nearly a year, said in response, "It would have been better if the apology had come much earlier." The family of Shizuo Aishima, a former adviser to the company who died in February 2021 at age 72 after falling ill during detention, was not present during the meeting. In a statement issued through their lawyer, the family said they "cannot accept an apology under the current circumstances." During the meeting, Kamata mistakenly called Shimada, 72, "Yamamoto," while Mori also referred to the company by the wrong name. Kamata told reporters afterward that authorities failed to thoroughly investigate the case, which involved the export of spray-drying apparatus that investigators suspected could be used in the process of making biological weapons. "We will review (the case) carefully without preconceptions," he said. The company has been seeking a third-party review of the investigation, but the police and prosecutors have expressed reluctance to accept such a probe. Okawara, Shimada and Aishima were arrested and indicted between March and June 2020 on suspicion of exporting spray dryers capable of producing biological agents without authorization. But the prosecutors withdrew the indictment in July 2021. In late May, the Tokyo High Court ruled the investigation of the three men was illegal and ordered the metropolitan government and state to pay about 166 million yen ($1.14 million) in damages to the plaintiffs. Related coverage: Compensation by Tokyo gov't, state finalized over illicit probe High court orders Tokyo gov't, state to compensate for illicit probe
Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Japan Times
Police and prosecutors apologize to Ohkawara Kakohki after illegal probe
Tokyo police and public prosecutors on Friday apologized to the president of Ohkawara Kakohki, a former executive and others after a recent court ruling on a damages lawsuit found their investigations into the machinery-maker were illegal. Tetsuro Kamata, deputy superintendent-general of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department, and Hirohide Mori, head of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office's public security division, made the apology to President Masaaki Okawara, 76, and others, including Junji Shimada, 72, a former executive, in a meeting at the company's head office in Yokohama. "We deeply apologize for the great stress and burdens we have caused," Kamata said. "We will do our best to prevent any recurrence," he added, bowing. Mori said, "I apologize from the bottom of my heart." In reply, Okawara underlined the need to fully examine the case that hit his company and make sure that similar incidents never happen again. The bereaved family of Shizuo Aishima, a former executive who was diagnosed with stomach cancer while in detention and later died, did not attend the meeting. The family said it cannot accept an apology at this time. A lawyer for the company submitted a written request that called for including a third party in a probe of the illegal investigations by the MPD and the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office. In March 2020, the MPD's Public Security Bureau arrested Okawara and two other company executives, alleging that the company exported without permission a spray dryer that could be repurposed for weapons production. In July 2021, the district public prosecutor's office dropped the charges against them, just before the first criminal court hearing on the case. The president and others later filed the damages lawsuit against the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the state on the grounds that the authorities' investigations were unreasonable. Active police officers involved in the investigations testified that the case was a "fabrication." On May 28 this year, the Tokyo High Court upheld a lower court ruling that found the arrests and the indictment illegal, ordering the state and the metropolitan government to pay a total of ¥166 million in damages. On June 11, the MPD and the prosecutors office said they would not appeal the high court ruling and indicated plans to apologize directly to the company.
Kyodo News
10 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Tokio pop group member removed from TV show over past misconduct
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