Overview
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Audit Committee urged the police to seek reimbursement from three officers for part of the roughly ¥185 million damages paid over the Ōkawara wrongful-conviction case.
- The recommendation names former Public Security officials Watanabe Makoto and Miyazono Hayato and ex-officer Asaka Shinsuke, an unusual move toward individual liability after findings of illegal investigation.
- Police had indicated willingness to pursue recourse only against Asaka, while saying they would forgo it for Watanabe and Miyazono, who have retired.
- One day earlier, the Supreme Court convened a non-public research meeting with about 70 criminal judges, bringing in defense attorney Hiroshi Kawazu and prosecutor Yukiko Koga to review how courts assess bail.
- Judges discussed the difficulty of predicting evidence-destruction risks, cautioned against overemphasis, and called for precise medical information to assess defendants’ health, with outcomes to be shared nationwide and no second session scheduled.