Overview
- On Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, a nine‑lawyer defence team led by Sōichirō Deguchi filed a retrial petition at Saga District Court for a man in his 50s who was convicted in a 2018 stimulant possession and use case.
- The defence submitted six new items of evidence including the National Police Agency's special inspection final report that identified irregularities in DNA‑type testing carried out by a former technician at the Saga Prefectural Police Forensic Science Research Institute.
- Court records show one of the examiners named in the original trial matches the implicated former staffer, and the defence argues that this link removes the decisive basis for the guilty verdict.
- The petition asks the court to allow third‑party access to the physical evidence so independent analysts can re‑examine the residue on the drug bag that was originally tied to the defendant by DNA.
- If the court accepts the retrial request, the case could prompt re‑tests of other convictions that relied on the same examiner and increase pressure on Saga police and the National Police Agency to expand oversight and restore public trust.