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Day 36: April 26 - Aum Disbandment Hits Snag
- Education Minister Yosano will have to rely on the police
department to provide the information required to order Aum disbanded, and
that is proving difficult. As the Yomiuri explained "Justice and police
authorities have not encountered a case in which they were asked to supply
investigation materials to outside agencies, and it's doubtful that they
would want to." If Aum is disbanded all of it's assets are forfeit to the
government.
In their daily raids of Aum facilities across Japan, police
arrested seven more Aum members. To date, police have arrested 10 of Aum's
leaders and over 200 regular followers. No one has been arrested in
connection with last month's sarin attack.
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Day 37: April 27 - APB on All Aum leaders
- In a completely unprecedented move, the NPA has directed every
police station in the county to apprehend Aum leader Asahara Shyoko and 21
other sect leaders. No specific charges have been mentioned. Police said
they will increase the frequency of random car checks and the questioning
of "suspicious persons" in their effort to make progress in the case.
Three Aum members will be formally indicted on charges of
trespassing for the incident that occurred on
April 6th.
Formal indictments on this charge are extremely rare, in fact this seems to
be the first time. Investigators explained that they are in a very
difficult position. Although they found rifle parts in the confiscated
car, there is no law banning the possession of rifle parts, hence the
formal indictment on the trespassing charge.
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Day 38: April 28 - Two SDF Members Arrested
- A sergeant in the Ground Self Defense Forces who is also a member
of Aum was arrested today after he admitted to throwing a gasoline bomb
into the sect's headquarters at the request of Aum's intelligence minister.
Another sergeant and Aum follower was suspended and then immediately
resigned for leaking information about SDF's preparations for the March 22
raid on the Aum compund.
Prime Minister Murayama today said that the investigation of the
March 22 subway gassing is nearing its final stage. He did not elaborate,
but this seems to contradict the position of the police and Home Affairs
Minister Hiromu Nonaka, who today stated that as yet there is insufficient
evidence to conclusively say that sarin was produced at Aum's Kamikuishiki
facility.
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Day 39: April 29 - Two Ex-SDF Aum Members Arrested
- Police said that several high-ranking Aum members had received
weapons training in Russia. Most of these people are already in police
custody, but today police arrested a former SDF member who participated on
these training sessions on charges of installing a radio transmitter in an
Aum-owned car without a license to do so.
In a separate incident authorities arrested a Shinya Asano, the SDF
member who provided Aum with information on SDF preparations, for
trespassing after he scaled a fence at a driver's license examination
office. The Yomiuri stated that police "suspect Aum members plotted to
forge drivers licenses and use them to rent cars with the aim of abducting
people."
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Day 40: April 30 - NHK Employee's Home Searched
- The police today searched the home of an NHK employee who has been
friends with a high-ranking Aum member since high school. The employee
denied being Aum follower, but police said they believed he was holding
books and documents for his friend who is a member of Aum. They added that
this employee had been seen at Aum-related facilities. An NHK spokesman
said that the employee did not know if police had a warrant to search his
home. [ That's how the report appeared in the papers. Japanese
police, however, are required to show a warrant before entering the
property. -- TR]
Authorities announced that the name of the man suspected of
killing Murai is Hiroyuki Jo. No explanation for the confusion was given.
Police continued their nationwide raids, seizures and arrests. In
one of the stranger incidents, police arrested the president of computer
store for violating the Antique Dealings Law. [ I really wish I had the
details for this one! I'll post them if I can find them --TR ]