Three former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) yesterday apologized at the Tokyo District Court for the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, but they pleaded not guilty to charges of professional negligence.
Tsunehisa Katsumata, the company’s 77-year-old former chairman, and two former vice presidents said they did not think they bear criminal responsibility, because they could not predict the enormous tsunami that flooded the plant.
A prosecutor told the court that the three defendants had access to data and studies anticipating the risk of a tsunami exceeding 1m that could trigger a loss of power and severe accidents.
Photo: Reuters / Kyodo
“They continued running the reactors without taking any measures whatsoever,” the prosecutor said. “If they had fulfilled their safety responsibilities, the accident would never have occurred.”
“I apologize for the tremendous trouble to the residents in the area and around the country because of the serious accident that caused the release of radioactive materials,” Katsumata said as he bowed, slightly lowering his head.
However, he and his co-defendants, Sakae Muto, 67, and Ichiro Takekuro, 71, said they could not foresee the disaster.
“When I recall that time, I still think it was impossible to anticipate an accident like that,” Muto said. “I believe I have no criminal responsibility over the accident.”
Prosecutors considered the case twice, and dropped it both times, but a citizens’ judicial panel overrode their decision and indicted the former executives.
The former officials are accused of not taking sufficient preventive measures despite being aware of the risk of a major tsunami at least two years before it happened.
The criminal trial for the executives was prompted by an appeal by more than 5,700 people, urging prosecutors to investigate and send the utility executives to court to determine who is responsible for the disaster.
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