Latest news with #OhkawaraKakohki
The Mainichi
a day ago
- Politics
- 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.
Asahi Shimbun
5 days ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Police probe releases scathing report in falsely accused firm case
Yuji Sakoda, chief of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, apologizes for the falsely accused Ohkawara Kakohki officials in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Aug. 7. (Shota Tomonaga) An internal police review criticized a "dysfunctional" investigative chain of command that led to three officials of a Yokohama-based company being falsely accused of exporting equipment that could be used as biologial weapons. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the National Police Agency and the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office announced on Aug. 7 the findings that outlined issues with the investigation of Ohkawara Kakohki Co. and bail procedures. While 19 officials from the MPD's Public Security Bureau at the time of the investigation were disciplined, no disciplinary action was taken against any prosecutors. 'I once again deeply apologize to the three individuals arrested and everyone else investigated for the significant trouble and anguish we put them through,' MPD Chief Yuji Sakoda said at a news conference. Yoshinobu Kusunoki, commissioner-general of the NPA, said, 'Public security and foreign affairs departments nationwide will sincerely reflect on the shortcomings revealed in this case and will ensure that measures are implemented to prevent a recurrence.' In response to the release of the probe, Ohkawara Kakohki, which manufactures and exports spray dryers, held a news conference on the same day. Masaaki Okawara, 76, the company president and one of the three individuals who were arrested, expressed his disapproval, saying that the review left 'personal accountability extremely vague.' 'This is because the review was conducted internally,' he said. Ohkawara Kakohki had been calling for an independent review that includes a third party. The MPD's review was based on the finalized court ruling that fully acknowledged the illegality of the Public Security Bureau's investigation. The review concluded that the chain of command was flawed in its operation because senior officials including the head of the bureau failed to properly direct the investigation, leading to 'grave errors' such as the unlawful arrests. The probe listed specific problems, such as that investigators failed to reconsider their own interpretation of the regulations—even after the trade ministry raised doubts. Furthermore, when an experiment with the company's equipment produced results that contradicted the investigation's premise, investigators neither conducted a follow-up inquiry nor shared the findings with senior Public Security Bureau officials and prosecutors. The review also addressed the MPD's actions after the indictment was withdrawn. It withdrew the MPD's claim in the state compensation lawsuit that the testimony of active-duty police officers—who stated that the case was a 'fabrication'—was purely 'grand fiction.' The review stated that this action 'could discourage officers from freely expressing their opinions in the future.' The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office, in its own review report, pointed out that prosecutors had failed to properly evaluate exculpatory evidence that could have weakened the suspicion of guilt when they decided to indict. Regarding their continued opposition to bail requests, the review noted that their response 'must be described as inappropriate.' The state compensation lawsuit revealed that when an investigator suggested revisiting the MPD's case strategy, a senior official shut the possibility down, saying, 'Will you take responsibility for dropping the case?" However, the MPD's review did not acknowledge this exchange. Tsuyoshi Takada, a lawyer representing Ohkawara Kakohki, said that the review was insufficient. Takada criticized the disciplinary action taken against the police officers as 'too lenient,' stating, 'This is a direct reflection of the inadequate review.' Takada also called the lack of any punishment for prosecutors a 'very serious problem.' In its report, the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office acknowledged that the prosecutor's continued opposition to granting bail to Shizuo Aishima, a company adviser who died after his release was denied, was 'inappropriate.' Takada praised this specific finding. On the other hand, there has been no move for a review by the judiciary, which denied the bail request. 'We are not demanding a formal review," Takada said. "We just want them to learn from this case and recognize that their work can cost a person their life.' The bereaved family of Aishima, which has not accepted an apology from the officials, did not attend the company's news conference. Takada read a statement from Aishima's eldest son, which said, 'It is a step forward that they have established some solid preventative measures. We will now deliberate on how we would like to be apologized to.' (This article was written by Hiraku Higa, Hikaru Yokoyama, Yusuke Morishita, Noriki Nishioka and senior staff writer Shimpachi Yoshida.)
Japan Times
5 days ago
- 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.
5 days ago
19 Police Officials Subject to Punishment over Problematic Probe
News from Japan Aug 7, 2025 19:08 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 7 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police authorities decided Thursday to punish 19 people who were involved in an investigation that led to false charges against executives of machinery maker Ohkawara Kakohki Co. They said that the 19 people, including retirees, flouted fundamental principles of conducting investigations and discouraged the systematic utilization of questionnaires for investigators on the problematic probe regarding Ohkawara Kakohki. Authorities found that Tomohisa Kondo, a retired official who was the head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau at the time of the arrests of three Ohkawara Kakohki executives, deserves an admonition by the commissioner-general of the National Police Agency. A counselor who was hired by the NPA should be given a warning by the chief of the NPA commissioner-general's Secretariat, while a former head of a foreign affairs division in the MPD, now retired, deserves an admonition from the MPD superintendent-general, they said. Two retired officials who played core roles in the investigation into Ohkawara Kakohki should face a one-month pay cut for their mishandling of the probe, authorities found. [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.
