Tetsuya Uemura (left) and Mitsuo Sunaoshi

Although the Metropolitan Police Department believes the cult was behind the shooting of then-NPA chief Takaji Kunimatsu and plans to continue its investigation along this line, the decision by the Tokyo Prosecutors' Office is likely to prompt police to launch a fundamental review of their probe into the 9-year-old case.

Koichi Ishikawa (left) and Toshiyuki Kosugi

Toshiyuki Kosugi, 39, a former cult member and ex-police officer, and three others were arrested July 7 over their alleged roles in the shooting of Kunimatsu near his Tokyo home.

The shooting took place just days after police launched nationwide raids on Aum following the cult's fatal sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.

The three others are Mitsuo Sunaoshi, 36, Tetsuya Uemura, 49, and Koichi Ishikawa, 35. Uemura and Ishikawa are former senior members of Aum while Sunaoshi is still a member of the cult.

The Japan Times Weekly: Aug. 7, 2004
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