Panel approves continued use of police cells as substitute jails
February 2, 2006A government panel formulated recommendations Thursday that approve of the continued use of police cells as substitute detention houses for criminal suspects and defendants waiting for sentencing, despite accusations of human rights infringements. The panel of experts, tasked with studying the issue by the Justice Ministry and the National Police Agency, called for measures to ensure fair treatment of the detainees, including legislation to separate the investigative and detention arms of the police and the introduction of third-party monitoring of police cells.
Man given 10-year prison term for reckless driving leading to death
February 2, 2006The Fukuoka District Court sentenced a man to 10 years in prison Thursday for driving a stolen car at excessive speed in an attempt to escape from police and colliding with two other vehicles, resulting in the death of one of the drivers, in Fukuoka Prefecture last year. Toru Tomitani, 46, a resident of the city of Iizuka, Fukuoka Prefecture, was found guilty of dangerous driving, a crime established in the Penal Code in 2001 in response to public calls to tighten penalties for reckless driving.
Serial murderer Miyazaki's death sentence finalized: top court
February 2, 2006The death sentence for Tsutomu Miyazaki, a convicted serial killer of four girls in 1988 and 1989, has been finalized, as the Supreme Court decided Wednesday to reject an objection filed by the defense counsel. The top court's four-justice No. 3 petty bench agreed unanimously to reject the objection, in which the defense asked the Supreme Court to correct its ruling last month, bringing an end to the trials on the 43-year-old Miyazaki that lasted 16 years.
Another accounting fraud alleged at Livedoor
February 2, 2006Former Livedoor Co. executives are now suspected of booking fictitious transactions and revenues in 2005 as well as those earlier reported for the year to September 2004, investigative sources said Thursday. In February 2005, Ryoji Miyauchi, then chief financial officer, instructed his deputies to prepare documents to book fictitious transactions and revenues from two Livedoor units, the sources said.
Chimura couple told police ex-agent Sin Guang Su taught them Korean
February 2, 2006Two repatriated Japanese victims of abduction by North Korea have told police that a former North Korean agent who is on the international wanted list was in charge of educating them in the North, police sources said Thursday. Yasushi and Fukie Chimura, both 50, have said to police investigators that Sin Guang Su, 76, implicated in a number of other abductions of Japanese, taught them Korean and other things at a facility in North Korea, the sources said.