Police, prosecutors apologize to 2 men over illicit probe
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
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
3 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Officials are investigating the cause of a Pennsylvania steel plant explosion that killed 2
CLAIRTON, Pa. (AP) -- Investigators are working to determine the cause of an explosion rocked a steel plant outside Pittsburgh, leaving two dead and more than 10 others injured, including a person who was rescued from the smoldering rubble after hours of being trapped. The explosion sent black smoke spiraling into the midday Monday sky in the Mon Valley, a region of the state synonymous with steel for more than a century. Allegheny County Emergency Services said a fire at the plant in Clairton started late Monday morning. Officials said they had not isolated the cause of the blast. The rumbling from the explosion, and several smaller blasts that followed, jolted the community about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southeast of Pittsburgh. Amy Sowers, who was sitting on her porch less than a mile from the plant, felt her house shake. "I could see smoke from my driveway," she said. "We heard ambulances and fire trucks from every direction." Sowers, 45, grew up in Clairton and has seen several incidents at the plant over the years. "Lives were lost again," Sowers said. "How many more lives are going to have to be lost until something happens?" Investigating the blast's cause At a news conference, Scott Buckiso, U.S. Steel's chief manufacturing officer, did not give details about the damage or casualties, and said they were still trying to determine what happened. He said the company, now a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Steel Corp., is working with authorities. The county medical examiner's office identified one of the victims as Timothy Quinn, 39. The Allegheny County Police Department said five people were hospitalized in critical but stable condition Monday night, and five others had been treated and released. Multiple individuals also were treated for injuries at the scene, but the department said it did not have an exact number. According to the company, the plant has approximately 1,400 workers. In a statement, the United Steelworkers, which represents many of the Clairton plant's workers, said it had representatives on the ground at the plant and would work to ensure there is a thorough investigation. David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment, an environmental group that has sued U.S. Steel over pollution, said there needed to be "a full, independent investigation into the causes of this latest catastrophe and a re-evaluation as to whether the Clairton plant is fit to keep operating." U.S. Steel CEO David B. Burritt said the company would investigate. It's not the first explosion at the plant. A maintenance worker was killed in a blast in September 2009. In July 2010, another explosion injured 14 employees and six contractors. According to online OSHA records of workplace fatalities, the last death at the plant was in 2014, when a worker was burned and died after falling into a trench. After the 2010 explosion, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined U.S. Steel and a subcontractor $175,000 for safety violations. U.S. Steel appealed its citations and fines, which were later reduced under a settlement agreement. In February, a problem with a battery at the plant led to a "buildup of combustible material" that ignited, causing an audible "boom," officials said. Two workers received first aid treatment but were not seriously injured. Air quality concerns The plant, a massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River, is considered the largest coking operation in North America and is one of four major U.S. Steel plants in Pennsylvania. The plant converts coal to coke, a key component in the steelmaking process. To make coke, coal is baked in special ovens for hours at high temperatures to remove impurities that could otherwise weaken steel. The process creates what's known as coke gas -- made up of a lethal mix of methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The county health department initially told residents within 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of the plant to remain indoors and close all windows and doors, but lifted the advisory later Monday. It said its monitors didn't detect levels of soot or sulfur dioxide above federal standards. The US Steel buyout U.S. Steel has been a symbol of industrialization since it was founded in 1901 by J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie and others. It's been the icon of the American steel industry that once dominated the world market until Japan, then China, became preeminent steelmakers over the past 40 years. In June, U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel announced they had finalized a "historic partnership," a deal that gives the U.S. government a say in some matters and comes a year and a half after the Japanese company first proposed its nearly $15 billion buyout of the iconic American steelmaker. The pursuit by Nippon Steel for the Pittsburgh-based company was buffeted by national security concerns and presidential politics in a premier battleground state, dragging out the transaction for more than a year after U.S. Steel shareholders approved it.
Japan Today
21 hours ago
- Japan Today
Landmark trial kicks off over Trump's use of U.S. military in LA policing role
FILE PHOTO: Members of the California National Guard stand guard at the Paramount Business Center parking lot a day after clashes between protesters and law enforcement following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Los Angeles County city of Paramount, California, U.S., June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Jill Connelly/File Photo By Dietrich Knauth and Jack Queen A landmark trial kicked off on Monday over the use by Donald Trump's administration of National Guard forces to support its deportation efforts and quell protests in Los Angeles, in a legal challenge to the U.S. president's break from long-standing norms against deploying troops on American streets. The three-day non-jury trial before San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer will determine if the government violated a 19th century law that bars the military from civil law enforcement when Trump deployed the troops in June, as the state of California claims in its legal challenge. "The factual question which the court must address is whether the military was used to enforce domestic law, and if so, whether there continues to be a threat that it could be done again," Breyer said at the start of Monday's court hearing. Los Angeles experienced days of unrest and protests sparked by mass immigration raids at places where people gather to find work, like Home Depot stores, a garment factory and a warehouse. The administration denies that troops were used in civil law enforcement and plans to show that they were protecting federal property and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Many of the troops have been withdrawn, but California's Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Monday that 300 National Guard members are still going on immigration raids and restricting civilian movements in the state. The Trump administration last week extended the activation of troops in the Los Angeles area through November 6, according to a court filing by Gavin Newsom, the state's Democratic governor. "The federal government deployed military troops to the streets of Los Angeles for the purposes of political theater and public intimidation," Bonta said in a statement. "This dangerous move has no precedent in American history." California and Newsom have asked Breyer to prohibit the troops from directly participating in domestic law enforcement activities. They say the National Guard is accompanying ICE agents on raids and assisting in arrests, in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 and other laws that forbid the U.S. military from taking part in civilian law enforcement. The Republican president ordered 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June against Newsom's wishes. California's lawsuit ultimately seeks a ruling that would return its National Guard troops to state control and a declaration that Trump's action was illegal. The trial before Breyer will have limited impact, however, on Trump's plan to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington as part of a crackdown on violent crime in the U.S. capital city despite statistics showing that violent crime there hit a 30-year low in 2024. "I'm deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, D.C.," Trump said on Monday. "And they're going to be allowed to do their job properly." Unlike in California and other states, where the governor typically decides when to activate Guard troops, the president directly controls the National Guard in Washington. A ruling against the administration could restrict the actions of those troops and constrain Trump if he deploys such forces to police other American cities. Trump said his efforts to fight crime will go beyond Washington and he has mentioned Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Baltimore. Trump's decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on U.S. soil and inflamed political tensions in the second-most-populous U.S. city. A U.S. appeals court has allowed Trump to retain control of California's National Guard during the legal challenge. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Review of false charges against Japan machinery maker lacks root cause
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has released the results of its review of the false charges involving Yoohama-based machinery manufacturer Ohkawara Kakohki Co. The police's investigation had been deemed illegal in a state compensation lawsuit. Evidence unfavorable to the prosecution was disregarded, leading to an unjust accusation. Yet, the fundamental cause of this injustice remains unclear. The report recognized that an assistant manager and their superior in the MPD's Public Security Bureau had pressed forward with a criminal case despite cautious opinions from those around them. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry had expressed doubts about the bureau's interpretation that Ohkawara Kakohki's equipment was subject to regulation, but this information was not adequately shared with upper management. The review concluded that the Public Security Bureau chief and other senior officials had failed to exercise effective leadership, resulting in dysfunction in the investigative command system. However, it is difficult to say that the review truly addressed the circumstances that led to the false charges. The document summarizing findings includes an assistant manager's statement saying, "We approached the investigation with a desire to contribute to society, not for awards or promotions," but this alone does not explain the bureau's reckless actions. When submitting a report of interviews with four experts to the trade ministry, the bureau even included "statements" favorable to the investigation that were never actually made. This suggests the content may have been fabricated. Yet, the review results do not address this issue at all. The wrongful accusation took place amid the push to strengthen economic security by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's second administration. The investigation was conducted under the premise that equipment capable of being diverted to military use had been illegally exported, raising suspicions that the Public Security Bureau was eager to boost its track record. Disciplinary action by the MPD was limited to two individuals including the assistant manager. None of the prosecutors involved in the indictment, which was deemed illegal, faced punishment. A former adviser to Ohkawara Kakohki was detained for an extended period and eventually died of cancer. Can we describe the police response as an appropriate way to take responsibility for causing such a serious human rights violation? In recent years, a string of retrials have ended in acquittals, shaking public trust in the judiciary. Investigative authorities must sincerely confront these issues. The latest review was conducted only internally and failed address the underlying conditions that allowed the illegal investigation to occur. Without a third-party investigation to uncover the truth, there is no guarantee that similar cases can be prevented.
