Japan, Tokyo Govts Decide Not to Appeal Ohkawara Case Ruling

   Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese central and Tokyo metropolitan governments Wednesday decided not to appeal a recent court ruling in a damages lawsuit that found investigations into spray-dryer maker Ohkawara Kakohki Co. were illegal.
   The company is expected not to appeal the Tokyo High Court decision as well. The ruling, which also ordered the governments to pay a total of 166 million yen in damages, is set to become final Thursday.
   Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department and the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office expressed their apologies for the heavy burden they had placed on people related to the company.
   The Tokyo police set up a team headed by the deputy superintendent-general to examine problems with the investigations and work out measures to prevent a recurrence. The prosecutors office also said that the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office will conduct probes.
   In March 2020, the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo police arrested Masaaki Okawara, CEO of the company based in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, and two others for allegedly exporting without permission a spray dryer that could be repurposed to weapons production, in violation of the foreign exchange law.

(2025/06/11-16:30)

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