In light of the inappropriate relationship with a woman under investigation, a public inquiry is being made regarding suspicions of collusion with the tax authorities and the public prosecutor's office.
In recent years, the prosecution service has faced societal problems stemming from allegations of inappropriate relationships between prosecutors and women who were subjects of interrogation or investigation, sexual assault within the organization, leaks of investigative information, and secondary victimization after reporting.
This is not just a matter of some employees' private lives. It is because the power imbalance between those who investigate and those who are investigated, and between those who hold information and those in weaker positions, can distort investigative judgments and information management.
Information from female victims regarding defendant Shinnosuke Nakano
The Prosecutors' Union has received multiple reports alleging that the defendant Nakano has committed acts of violence, intimidation, degradation, coercion of financial burdens, and ongoing imposition of expenses such as dining and drinking costs on women.
These should not be treated as mere revelations of a romantic relationship. They may indicate behavioral patterns common to the fraud, embezzlement, accounting, and account management suspicions surrounding the defendant Nakano, such as psychologically and financially controlling the other party, using their name, credit, money, and communication methods, and shifting responsibility onto the other party when it becomes inconvenient.
Questioning the investigative stance of the Kagoshima District Public Prosecutors Office
Did you investigate the victim before trusting Mr. Nakano's statement?
The Kagoshima District Public Prosecutors Office is suspected of having treated another individual as an accomplice based on the statements of the defendant Nakano and disseminating their name and attributes to the press.
Meanwhile, to what extent were investigations and corroborating investigations conducted regarding the women who claim to have been victimized by the defendant Nakano, the individuals who claim their names and accounts were used by the defendant Nakano, and the fact that the defendant Nakano managed login information and company information for multiple people in a centralized manner?
If the assessment of a statement relies solely on the testimony of the accused and does not investigate the victim's information in the opposite direction, then the statement assessment is biased from the start.
Was there no "inappropriate relationship" between Defendant Nakano, the National Tax Agency, and the Public Prosecutor's Office?
Now that the inappropriate relationship between an interrogated woman and a prosecutor has become a social issue, prosecutors must provide stricter explanations than before regarding private contact, excessive favors, dining, gifts, and information exchange with investigation subjects and informants.
Regarding the defendant Nakano, information has been received suggesting statements to the effect that he "won over the national tax authorities and the prosecution," the possibility that he knew investigation information in advance, and indications of cooperation with Mr. Makoto Watanabe.
The term "inappropriate relationship" here is not limited to romantic relationships. It includes relationships that cater to the statements of the person under investigation, relationships where convenience is provided in handling their detention or charges in exchange for information, informal communication channels, private dining or contact, and sharing of investigative information.
If the Kagoshima District Public Prosecutors Office downplayed reports of female victims while exclusively prioritizing the explanations and information provided by the defendant Nakano, it may have misjudged its distance from the defendant.
Did you investigate Mr. Makoto Watanabe's involvement with Last One Mile?
Information has been received that Mr. Makoto Watanabe managed funds, companies, networks, M&A, investments, and external relations behind Nakano, with some executives of Last One Mile providing support.
It is necessary to examine whether Mr. Watanabe or people around him were aware of, took advantage of, or were involved in pressuring the victims or whistleblowers regarding intimidation of women and attacks on related parties.
If the prosecution adopts the testimony of the defendant Nakano while not sufficiently investigating the involvement of Mr. Watanabe and Last One Mile, it will misjudge the chain of command and the ultimate beneficiary of the series of incidents.
Public Questions for the Kagoshima District Public Prosecutors Office
10 questions about the distance between victim information and the subject of investigation
- Do you have information about Defendant Nakano forcing a woman into violence, intimidation, and economic hardship?
- Did you take statements from the women and individuals who reported damages?
- Have you checked LINE, recordings, remittance history, and records of expenses like food and drinks?
- Did investigators examine the fact that Defendant Nakano centrally managed other people's accounts, seals, devices, login information, and company information?
- Did you reflect the defendant Nakano's falsity, dominance, and tendency to shift blame in your assessment of the credibility of his statements?
- Did you investigate whether the defendant Nakano had any private contact, meals, gifts, or unofficial communication with tax officials, prosecutors, or investigation officials?
- Did you confirm that there were no improper agreements regarding the provision of favors to the defendant Nakano, in return for information, or regarding the handling of custody?
- Based on the testimony of the defendant Nakano, what is the reason for suspecting another person as an accomplice, while at the same time not disclosing victim information unfavorable to the defendant Nakano to the press?
- Was it investigated whether Makoto Watanabe and some of Last One Mile's executives were aware of and exploited the defendant Nakano's personal issues with women and his pressure on related parties?
- Are you willing to undergo third-party review regarding the distance from subjects of investigation, benefits provided to informants, and the handling of information regarding female victims?
Public Questions for the Fukuoka High Public Prosecutors Office
Two items to ask as a regulatory body
- Did you supervise and verify whether the Kagoshima District Public Prosecutors Office's investigation was excessively dependent on or accommodating of the defendant Nakano? Can you confirm that the selection of investigation targets was appropriate, including the accusations surrounding Mr. Watanabe Makoto and financial and communication information related to Last One Mile?
- Given that the inappropriate relationship between a prosecutor and the woman being investigated has become a social issue, it cannot be dismissed as a "personal problem of the individual in charge." Do you intend to investigate inappropriate contact with investigation subjects at the prosecutor's offices within your jurisdiction and fulfill your supervisory responsibilities?
Don't run from the victim's information.
The Prosecutors' Union is not seeking to condemn defendant Nakano for issues in his private life. They are raising concerns about the dangers of investigations that treat another person as an accomplice using only the suspect's testimony, without examining victim statements and objective evidence.
If you only cater to the explanations of the accused and do not listen to the victims' voices, it is not a fair investigation. The Kagoshima District Public Prosecutors Office and the Fukuoka High Public Prosecutors Office should re-examine the premises of their investigation, including the relationship between defendant Koki Nakano, Mr. Makoto Watanabe, and Last One Mile.
