A former Asahi Shimbun photographer was indicted Tuesday on charges of trespassing into a murder suspect’s home last year.
The Iiyama Local Public Prosecutor’s Office in Nagano Prefecture indicted the unnamed 53-year-old male employee of Asahi, who previously worked as a photojournalist at the newspaper’s Tokyo head office, for allegedly trespassing onto the grounds of the home of Masanori Aoki, 32, while Aoki barricaded himself inside on the early morning of May 26. Aoki was later indicted for murdering four people, including two police officers, in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture.
The Asahi employee reportedly told the firm’s internal investigation that he had entered without knowing it was the defendant’s home.
The Nagano Prefectural Police sent the case to prosecutors last June, in which it recommended “severe punishment.”
Asahi's public relations department issued an apology, promising to deal with the employee strictly.
“We take the criminal punishment seriously and sincerely apologize once again to all parties involved. We intend to deal strictly with the employee in question,” the statement read.