Reflections on the Human Condition - Api-fellowships.org
Reflections on the Human Condition - Api-fellowships.org
Reflections on the Human Condition - Api-fellowships.org
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396 SESSION VI<br />
Sept. 2000: Filed lawsuit against 9 current and former police<br />
officers for repayment of food expenditures. (Police officials<br />
ordered to reimburse local gov’t-paid meals, Japan Ec<strong>on</strong>omic<br />
Newswire, March 25, 2002 and Police papers to be revealed.<br />
2001: Filed lawsuit to claim damages against Kanagawa<br />
Governor for his decisi<strong>on</strong> to allow <strong>the</strong> prefectural government<br />
to buy a <strong>the</strong>ater.<br />
2001: Filed lawsuit to claim <strong>the</strong> mayor to return m<strong>on</strong>ey spent<br />
for new airport project.<br />
Feb. 2001: Requested informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> police expenses from<br />
Sendai Prefecture.<br />
April 2001: Filed lawsuit against Sendai prefecture.<br />
April 2001: Issued a report evaluating <strong>the</strong> activities of each<br />
current assembly member.<br />
April 2001: Requested performance or sale data of Universal<br />
Studio Japan of which <strong>the</strong> City of Osaka held 25% of shares as<br />
majority shareholder.<br />
June 2001: Filed lawsuit to seek informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> prosecutor’s<br />
research fund.<br />
June 2001: Filed lawsuit against <strong>the</strong> major companies’<br />
executives to return m<strong>on</strong>ies illegally d<strong>on</strong>ated to political<br />
party during capital deficit, e.g. claimed 87 milli<strong>on</strong> yen from<br />
Kumagai Gumi’s executives. Such d<strong>on</strong>ati<strong>on</strong>s were prohibited<br />
by <strong>the</strong> Political Fund C<strong>on</strong>trol Law.<br />
July 2001: Requested details <strong>on</strong> 2.75 billi<strong>on</strong> yen of expenses<br />
spent for <strong>the</strong> Olympic bid campaign.<br />
Aug. 2001: Filed lawsuit to demand <strong>the</strong> former governor<br />
refund <strong>the</strong> cost of a 1.23 billi<strong>on</strong> yen <strong>the</strong>ater purchased by<br />
Kanagawa Prefecture.<br />
May 2002: Filed lawsuit to seek disclosure of administrative<br />
documents related to <strong>the</strong> legal resp<strong>on</strong>sibility and compensati<strong>on</strong><br />
obligati<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> <strong>org</strong>anizers and <strong>the</strong> central and local<br />
governments in <strong>the</strong> event of a cancellati<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> 2005 Aichi<br />
World Expo.<br />
Oct. 2002: Sent questi<strong>on</strong>naires to Supreme Court about<br />
suspicious gifts.<br />
Oct. 2002: Filed a lawsuit to recover damages against former<br />
directors of Sumitomo Corporati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Oct. 2002: Set up a center to advise and support, without<br />
identifying, whistle-blowers.<br />
Ref lecti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Human</strong> C<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>: Change, C<strong>on</strong>flict and Modernity<br />
The Work of <strong>the</strong> 2004/2005 API Fellows<br />
Sendai Ombudsman In March 2002, <strong>the</strong> Sendai District Court<br />
ordered such 9 officers to reimburse a part of food<br />
expenditures.<br />
Kanagawa Citizens’<br />
Ombudsman<br />
July 2004: The Yokohama District Court dismissed<br />
<strong>the</strong> claim.<br />
Kobe Citizen Group June 2005: The Osaka High Court upheld <strong>the</strong> Kobe<br />
District Court to dismiss <strong>the</strong> suit.<br />
Sendai Ombudsman The Sendai Prefecture rejected <strong>the</strong> request.<br />
Shimin Onbuzu<br />
(civic ombudsman)<br />
Amagasaki<br />
Mihariban<br />
Jan. 2003: The Sendai District Court ordered<br />
<strong>the</strong> Prefecture to disclose <strong>the</strong> amount paid to an<br />
informer during investigati<strong>on</strong> but keep c<strong>on</strong>fidential<br />
<strong>on</strong> identity of informers and purpose of payment.<br />
Sendai Ombudsman Dec. 2003: The Sendai District Court ruled<br />
<strong>the</strong> Sendai High Public Prosecutor’s Office<br />
misappropriated m<strong>on</strong>ey allocated to it for research<br />
activities around 1993 but refused to order<br />
disclosure of how <strong>the</strong> alleged slush fund had been<br />
spent.<br />
Kabunushi<br />
Ombudsman<br />
Mihariban<br />
Citizens’<br />
Groups in Kanagawa<br />
Nagoya Citizen<br />
Goup<br />
The All Japan<br />
Citizen Ombudsman<br />
Associati<strong>on</strong><br />
Kabunushi<br />
Ombudsman<br />
Feb. 2003: The Fukui District Court ordered <strong>the</strong><br />
ex-president of Kumagai Gumi to reimburse 27<br />
milli<strong>on</strong> yen for d<strong>on</strong>ati<strong>on</strong>s from Apr 1998-Dec 1999,<br />
but dismissed demands to have ano<strong>the</strong>r ex-president<br />
return d<strong>on</strong>ati<strong>on</strong>s and to ban <strong>the</strong> current president<br />
from extending political d<strong>on</strong>ati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
July 2004: TheYokohama District Court dismissed<br />
<strong>the</strong> claim for <strong>the</strong> cost of <strong>the</strong>ater.<br />
Oct. 2003: Nogoya District Court ordered METI<br />
and Foreign Ministry to disclose documents <strong>the</strong>y<br />
sent to <strong>the</strong> Bureau Internati<strong>on</strong>al des Expositi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
(BIE) but to keep documents related to discussi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
<strong>on</strong> what would happen if <strong>the</strong> event were to be<br />
canceled c<strong>on</strong>fidential.<br />
The Supreme Court refused to answer questi<strong>on</strong>s..