The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office on June 27 decided not to indict Mr. Masahiro Tashiro, a former prosecutor with the special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. He was accused by a citizens' group of falsifying a report on his interrogation of Mr. Tomohiro Ishikawa, a former secretary of former Democratic Party of Japan chief Ichiro Ozawa and currently a Lower House member, in connection with alleged falsification of fund reports of Rikuzankai, Mr. Ozawa's political funds management body.
It also decided not to indict his six former superiors, including Mr. Tatsuya Sakuma, a former head of the squad. The decision only reinforces the impression that the highest prosecution authorities show leniency to public prosecutors, and as such will never help the authorities regain the public's trust.
Mr. Tashiro made the report after he questioned Mr. Ishikawa, who was out on bail, on May 17, 2010, after the Tokyo No. 5 Prosecution Inquest Committee — a citizens' 11-member panel — voted on April 27 that year for indicting Mr. Ozawa for the first time. The falsification came to light because Mr. Ishikawa secretly recorded the interrogation. But the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office decided that although the way Mr. Tashiro wrote the report was inappropriate, it cannot be determined that he did it by design. Thus the office decided not to indict him.