and TOMOKO OTAKEStaff writers
Thirty-one months and 99 hearings after Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara's trial started, nobody is sure how long it will take before the verdict is reached on any of the 17 criminal cases for which he stands accused.
The trial -- which marks its 100th session today -- has been moving at a snail's pace before the Tokyo District Court as the guru's 12 court-appointed lawyers continue nitpicking cross-examinations of witnesses and evidence provided by prosecutors, with the points of contention left unclear.