Japan’s top law enforcement officials have apologized to the family of a businessman who was wrongfully arrested and died after a months-long detention. Shizuo Aishima, a former adviser to machinery firm Ohkawara Kakohki, was held in pretrial detention for months on charges that were later dropped.
Aishima was one of three company executives illegally detained on suspicion of exporting biological weapons, but the charges were eventually dropped. Despite being diagnosed with cancer, prosecutors kept him detained, citing concerns about evidence destruction.
In June, the Tokyo police and Tokyo prosecutors apologized to Aishima’s family and colleagues, acknowledging that the investigation lacked fundamental investigative principles and had a dysfunctional chain of command. The Tokyo High Court later ruled that the investigation was illegal and not supported by evidence.
The family’s lawyer said that the detention was not the result of one judge’s mistake but rather a systemic problem. He called for judges to learn from the case and take steps to prevent future “hostage justice” cases, where investigators use lengthy pretrial detentions to coerce confessions.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/japan-police-apologize-grave-innocent-businessman-long-detention