» Former prime minister Kan denies his criminal liability to the nuclear disaster

2013/08/14

Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who led the government’s response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, denied that he was criminally responsible for the crisis.

While residents groups across Japan, mainly in Fukushima Prefecture, filed complaints against 40 people including Kan and his Cabinet members on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in injuries, Kan said in a document submitted to prosecutors that “there was no problem” with his immediate response to the crisis triggered.

The residents accused Kan and two of his ministers of failing to take prompt venting measures to lessen the pressure within the reactor containers before it caused hydrogen explosions and injured workers at the Fukushima Daiichi plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co.

The prosecutors have decided, based on the testimony of tsunami experts, that the government and TEPCO could not have expected such a large tsunami due to the lack of unified knowledge on the height of tsunami.

If the prosecutors refrain from indicting them, the residents plan to ask an 11-member independent panel to seek indictments against the government and TEPCO officials.
<Media Report>

Ex-PM Kan denies criminal liability for Fukushima disaster (Kyodo News)

Ex-PM Kan denies criminal liability for Fukushima disaster(Mainichi News)

Tags:japanese government, litigation, news, politicians, residents in Fukushima

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