The government official acquitted of forgery in a high-profile evidence-tampering case will donate all of the compensation she received from the state to a group that helps disabled people, officials of the group said.
Atsuko Muraki, a former welfare ministry official, has decided to give around ¥30 million to Nankoairin-kai based in Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture, the group said Thursday.
The group plans to establish a fund with the money sometime next month that will be used to protect the legal rights of disabled people who have committed crimes and help them reintegrate with society.
Muraki, 56, received about ¥37.7 million in compensation for her arrest and subsequent indictment. All of the money, excluding fees paid to her defense counsel, will go to the group, the officials said. Muraki received a job in the Cabinet Office following her exoneration.
"The money will be used to help handicapped people return to society and support their independence," Muraki said in an email message to supporters.
Muraki was arrested and indicted for her alleged involvement in forging a document that allowed a fictitious group to take advantage of postage discounts for the disabled. She was acquitted in September 2010.