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Straits Times
08-08-2025
- Straits Times
Tokyo police punish 19 over wrongful arrests, issue apology
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox TOKYO – Tokyo police on Aug 7 announced disciplinary measures against 19 high-ranking officials over the wrongful arrests and indictments of three men in 2020 in connection with a case involving the suspected unauthorised export of sensitive equipment. In a rare public apology, Superintendent General Yuji Sakoda acknowledged the Metropolitan Police Department's failings, saying the incident caused 'considerable stress and burden' to the president of machinery maker Ohkawara Kakohki Co. and two others. The Metropolitan Police Department also released a review report concluding that dysfunction in the investigative chain of command led to the wrongful arrests. The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office also released a review on Aug 7 acknowledging it failed to thoroughly examine evidence that could have proven the men's innocence. It also stated prosecutors 'should deeply regret' that the bail applications could have been handled flexibly, as one of the arrested men died of lung cancer while in detention. Company president Masaaki Okawara, 76, and the two other men were arrested and indicted between March and June 2020 on suspicion of illegally exporting spray dryers that could be used to produce biological agents. Prosecutors dropped the charges in July 2021. In May 2025, the Tokyo High Court ruled the arrests and indictments were unlawful and ordered the Tokyo government and the state to compensate the three men. After the ruling was finalised, representatives of the police and prosecutors visited the company to apologise. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Cambodia, Thailand agree on Asean observers monitoring truce, but fundamental differences remain Business Who loses the most from Trump's tariffs? Who wins? Singapore Flying greener will come at a price, industry players warn Singapore Liquor licences for F&B, nightlife venues extended to 4am in Boat Quay, Clarke Quay Opinion At 79, Liew Mun Leong has no time to be sentimental Singapore Student found with vape taken to hospital after behaving aggressively in school; HSA investigating Singapore Chikungunya cases in Singapore double; authorities monitoring situation closely Singapore CDC and SG60 vouchers listed on e-commerce platforms will be taken down: CDCs Mr Okawara said at a press conference in Tokyo that he thought the reviews were 'not quite the detail I was expecting'. Among the 19 who were reprimanded were retired officials such as Mr Yasuo Niimi, former head of the Tokyo police's public safety bureau, and his successor, Mr Tomohisa Kondo. While they could not be formally disciplined, they were still named as responsible. The police report said an experienced on-site commander prioritised building a case against the accused and overlooked evidence that pointed to their innocence, creating an environment where subordinates found it difficult to object. The report noted that a section chief failed to recognise the lack of communication and discord within the investigation team. The chief also neglected to properly supervise the team, including the on-site commander, and did not ensure proper reporting to the bureau head. As a result, contradictory information was rarely conveyed to the bureau chief, and no meaningful oversight was exercised, the report said. To prevent a recurrence, the police will hold investigation meetings led by the bureau chief for key cases, requiring members to report all information, including details unfavourable to a case's prosecution. KYODO NEWS
Japan Times
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Tokyo police admit 'serious mistake' in investigation of spray dryer firm
The Metropolitan Police Department admitted in a report released Thursday that it made a "serious mistake" during its investigation into machinery-maker Ohkawara Kakohki, which resulted in false accusations involving weapons exports being made against company executives. In the report, the MPD stated that the chain of command in the investigation by its Public Security Bureau was "dysfunctional, leading to a serious mistake." In March 2020, the bureau arrested company president Masaaki Okawara and two other executives, alleging that the firm exported without permission a spray dryer that could be repurposed for weapons production. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office dropped the charges against them in July 2021, just before the first criminal court hearing on the case. According to the report, information unfavorable for building a case was not shared with senior MPD officials, and such officials merely rubber-stamped the investigation procedures. The bureau "lacked fundamental investigative principles as an organization," the report pointed out. "We caused significant stress and hardship" to people including Okawara, 76, and the two other company executives who were arrested, MPD Superintendent-General Yuji Sakoda told a news conference Thursday. "We deeply apologize." The report noted that the chief of a section in charge of the investigation and the chief's direct supervisor prioritized arrests of suspicious individuals and did not pay sufficient attention to information that could be detrimental to building a case, such as suggestions from subordinates that did not align with the investigation's line of inquiry. A division chief who supervised the two officials in question failed to ensure investigation details were reported to senior officials, including the bureau chief, and communications with the senior officials had "become a mere formality," according to the report. The report also said that the senior officials had not actually directed the investigation, failing to actively confirm details properly. "It is undeniable that related individuals would not have been arrested if the Public Security Bureau had carefully considered (the investigation procedures) as an organization," the report said. In May this year, the Tokyo High Court upheld a lower court ruling that found the arrests and indictment illegal, ordering the state and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to pay a total of ¥166 million in damages. The high court found that an improper method was used during an interrogation of a former company executive. On this, the report said that the MPD "must sincerely reflect on it." The report set out 20 measures to prevent any recurrence. An investigation panel joined by the bureau chief will be introduced for important cases to ensure that information — including that unfavorable for building a case — and the progress of the investigation are reported from the initial stages. A program in which officials assess their supervisors will also start as early as this autumn. Following the report by the MPD, the National Police Agency instructed prefectural police nationwide the same day to take audio and video recordings of interrogations over suspected violations of the foreign exchange act, including allegations of illegal exports.
07-08-2025
Police Admit Serious Mistake over Ohkawara Kakohki Probe
News from Japan Society Aug 7, 2025 15:05 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 7 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department admitted in a report released Thursday that it committed a "serious mistake" during its investigation into Ohkawara Kakohki Co., which resulted in false accusations against executives of the machinery maker. In the report, the MPD stated that the chain of command in the investigation by its Public Security Bureau was "dysfunctional, leading to a serious mistake." According to the report, information unfavorable for building a case was not shared with senior MPD officials, and such officials merely rubber-stamped the investigation procedures. The bureau "lacked fundamental investigative principles as an organization," the report pointed out. "We caused significant stress and hardship" to people including Ohkawara Kakohki President Masaaki Okawara, 76, and two other company executives who were arrested, MPD Superintendent-General Yuji Sakoda told a news conference Thursday. "We deeply apologize." [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Times
20-06-2025
- 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.
Japan Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Central and Tokyo governments won't appeal ruling in Ohkawara case
The central and Tokyo metropolitan governments Wednesday decided not to appeal a recent court ruling in a damages lawsuit that found investigations into spray dryer maker Ohkawara Kakohki were illegal. The company is not expected to appeal the Tokyo High Court decision as well. The ruling, which also ordered the governments to pay a total of ¥166 million in damages, is set to become final Thursday. Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department and the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office expressed their apologies for the heavy burden they had placed on people related to the company. The Tokyo police set up a team headed by the deputy superintendent-general to examine problems with the investigations and work out measures to prevent a recurrence. The prosecutors office also said that the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office will conduct probes. In March 2020, the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo police arrested Masaaki Okawara, CEO of the Yokohama-based based company, and two others for allegedly exporting without permission a spray dryer that could be repurposed for weapons production, in violation of the foreign exchange law. But the Tokyo prosecutor's office dropped the charges against them in July 2021, just before the first criminal court hearing on the case, saying that doubts had arisen over whether the spray dryer in question was among the products subject to export controls. In the damages suit, Tokyo High Court determined on May 28 this year that the Public Security Bureau arrested the Ohkawara Kakohki officials without necessary additional investigations, and that the prosecutors office indicted them without conducting the probes that are normally required. It upheld a Tokyo District Court ruling that the authorities' investigations were illegal. During the hearings in the suit, active police officers testified that the case was a "fabrication" and "problematic." The high court ruling said such testimony "should be taken seriously."
