Ohkawara Kakohki Probe's Command Chain Found to Function Improperly
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has admitted that its investigation into machinery maker Ohkawara Kakohki Co. was marred by dysfunction, particularly in its chain of command, leading to serious mistakes including false accusations against company executives.
In March 2020, the Public Security Bureau of the MPD arrested Ohkawara Kakohki's president Masaaki Okawara and two other executives, accusing them of illegal weapons-related exports concerning a spray dryer machine. However, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office eventually dropped the charges in July 2021, signaling problematic grounds for the investigation.
An internal investigation team launched by the MPD in June 2021 found that the chain of command was dysfunctional, with investigation details being reported to senior officials only as formalities. Senior officials, including the bureau chief, failed to properly oversee or ensure lawful and thorough investigative procedures. Importantly, negative or exculpatory evidence was withheld from senior management, compromising the judgment and integrity of the probe.
The MPD's report explicitly stated that the bureau "lacked fundamental investigative principles as an organization." MPD Superintendent-General Yuji Sakoda publicly apologized for the false accusations and the resulting stress caused to the individuals affected.
As a corrective measure, the MPD plans to create a new office within the Public Security Bureau focused on investigation guidance to strengthen independent review of statutory interpretations and evidence collection.
The team investigating the MPD's probe of Ohkawara Kakohki was headed by the MPD's deputy superintendent-general. The chief and other senior members of the Public Security Bureau were interviewed by this team. The MPD is considering disciplinary action against multiple people who were involved in the investigation, including senior officials of the bureau and those who have already retired.
The finalized ruling on a damages lawsuit concluded that the MPD's investigation into Ohkawara Kakohki was illegal. The MPD will soon release a report concluding that the chain of command in the investigation by its Public Security Bureau into Ohkawara Kakohki Co. was dysfunctional. The new office for investigation guidance within the Public Security Bureau aims to bolster reviews of statutory interpretations and gathered evidence from a third-party perspective.
- The MPD is considering sharing the findings of the new investigation guidance office, established to address shortcomings in the recent Ohkawara Kakohki investigation, to other departments within the police force, potentially leading to improvements in investigations related to general-news, crime-and-justice, politics, and even photo journalism cases.
- The team responsible for investigating the MPD's probe of Ohkawara Kakohki, a machinery maker, collected several interviews as part of their investigation, including those with the chief and other senior members of the Public Security Bureau. However, negative or exculpatory evidence was withheld from senior management, resulting in problematic grounds for the investigation that also called into question the sincerity of the interviews.
- Journalists reporting on the MPD's investigation into machinery maker Ohkawara Kakohki may find it interesting to observe the possible implications of the new investigation guidance office, as it could strengthen the MPD's procedures for reviewing statutory interpretations and evidence collection, potentially leading to more credible investigations in the future, such as those involving crime-and-justice, politics, and general-news cases.
