Prosecutor arrested for falsifying data

Japan Press Weekly

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Prosecutor arrested for falsifying data

The Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office on September 21 arrested Maeda Tsunehiko, prosecutor of the Osaka prosecutor’s special investigative unit, for allegedly of destroying evidence.

According to the supreme prosecutor’s office, Maeda admitted to tampering with and destroying data which was recorded on the floppy disk that the special unit seized during the investigation of the case abusing the postage discount system for disabled person which was revealed in June 2009.

Maeda headed the special investigation unit of the Osaka District Public Prosecutor’s Office working on the case.

Asked by reporters about the prosecutor’s arrest, Japanese Communist Party Diet Policy Commission Chair Kokuta Keiji on September 22 said, “This is a very serious issue because it is related to the fundamental issue regarding the prosecutor’s office’s method of investigation. It is very important for them to disclose all the facts, including the possibility that the prosecutor’s office was systematically involved in the alleged criminal activities.”

Regarding the abuse of the postage discount system case, the Osaka prosecutor’s office arrested and indicted former senior welfare ministry official, Muraki Atsuko, on suspicion of issuing a false official document enabling a self-proclaimed organization for the disabled to use the discount system.

During her criminal trial in the Osaka District Court, Muraki denied involvement in the case. In addition, testimony did not support evidence submitted by the prosecutor’s office. The court on September 10 declared Muraki not guilty. After the supreme prosecutor’s office gave up appealing the ruling, she was acquitted.

- Akahata, September 22 and 23, 2010