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WORLD NEWS Friday 20 September 2019
Japan court: TEPCO execs not guilty in Fukushima disaster

By MARI YAMAGUCHI judge did not understand
TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese the dangers of nuclear
court ruled Thursday that plants at all, and it was sym-
three former executives of pathetic to the company
Tokyo Electric Power Com- executives and their man-
pany were not guilty of pro- agement decisions," Kawai
fessional negligence in the said. "The ruling sounded as
2011 disaster at the Fuku- if it was written by support-
shima nuclear power plant ers of nuclear energy."
because ensuring absolute Prosecutors had told the
safety at nuclear plants court that the three defen-
was not a government re- dants had access to data
quirement at that time. and scientific studies that
The ruling by the Tokyo Dis- anticipated the possibil-
trict Court ended the only ity of a tsunami exceeding
criminal trial related to the 10 meters (33 feet) which
nuclear accident that has could trigger a loss of pow-
kept tens of thousands of er and a severe accident.
residents away from their Defense attorneys told the
homes because of linger- court that the tsunami pre-
ing radiation contamina- diction was not well estab-
tion. lished. They said the actual
Lawyers representing the A group of supporters of the trial shows banners reading "unjust sentence" in front of Tokyo District damage was larger than
5,700 Fukushima residents Court in Tokyo Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019. projected, and that if TEP-
who filed the criminal com- Associated Press CO had taken steps based
plaint said they will push on the projection, it would
prosecutors to appeal the sures that might have pro- sponsible positions at TEP- the company's responsibil- not have prevented the di-
decision. A group of sup- tected the plant. CO, but that did not nec- ity to supply electricity to saster.
porters stood outside the Katsumata and co-defen- essarily mean they were the public meant that idling TEPCO declined to com-
court Thursday with plac- dants Sakae Muto, 69, and responsible for taking mea- the plant would have had ment directly on the ruling
ards reading "Unjust ruling." Ichiro Takekuro, 73, plead- sures beyond those in the a "social impact," and that but pledged to devote it-
The court said ex-TEPCO ed not guilty at the trial's legal regulatory framework. possible measures were self to the compensation of
Chairman Tsunehisa Kat- opening session in June It said there is no proof they likely not ready in time. disaster-hit people and the
sumata, 79, and two other 2017. They said predicting could have foreseen that The acquittal disappointed cleanup of the plant and its
former executives were the tsunami was impossible. a tsunami could flood the dozens of Fukushima resi- surroundings while enhanc-
also not guilty of causing Three of the plant's reactors plant the way it did in 2011. dents and their supporters ing the safety of nuclear
the deaths of 44 elderly had meltdowns, spreading TEPCO officials were aware who attended the ruling. plants "with unwavering
patients whose health de- radiation into surrounding of a need to improve tsu- "Who is going to take re- determination."
teriorated during or after communities and into the nami prevention measures sponsibility then? It was Katsumata apologized
forced evacuations from a sea. and were considering tak- TEPCO that caused the ac- "to the people for causing
local hospital and a nursing Prosecutors in December ing steps by 2008 and 2009, cident, there is no mistake tremendous trouble" in a
home. requested five-year prison but those steps were in line about it," said Masakatsu statement released by his
The executives were ac- sentences for each ex- with government safety Kanno, a Fukushima resi- lawyer.
cused of failing to antici- ecutive, accusing them standards at the time. dent whose father died af- More than eight years since
pate the massive tsunami of not doing enough to The prosecutors argued ter being evacuated from the disaster, the Fukushima
that struck the Fukushima guard against the threat that TEPCO could have a hospital. plant has been stabilized
Dai-ichi nuclear plant on of a large tsunami despite prevented the disaster had Hiroyuki Kawai, a lawyer for and being decommis-
March 11, 2011, following a knowing the risk. it halted the plant to install the plaintiffs, said the deci- sioned — a decades-long
magnitude 9 earthquake, In its ruling, the court said safety measures before the sion must be appealed. process that is still at an
and of failing to take mea- the defendants held re- tsunami. But the court said "The ruling showed that the early stage. q

Public transport drivers strike in Delhi over higher fines

NEW DELHI (AP) — Com- The United Front of Trans- dents every year.
muters in India's capital port Associations called Under the new law, the
faced difficulties Thursday for the strike in New Delhi minimum penalty has been
as much of the city's pub- to protest the higher fines, increased from $1.40 to $7.
lic transportation, including which took effect Sept. 1 as The penalty for driving with-
private buses, auto-rick- economic growth in India out a license has risen from
shaws and some ride-hail- has slumped to a six-year $14 to $70. Traffic police
ing services, remained off low. across the country have
the roads to protest a sharp The minister for road trans- taken to social media to
increase in traffic fines un- port and highways, Nitin educate citizens about the
der a new law. Gadkari, says the increase new rules. But many Indians
The government hopes the in fines is needed to im- are critical of the new law.
new Motor Vehicles Act will prove the appalling safety Some posted pictures on
bring order to India's cha- record of India's roads, Twitter of huge potholes on A rickshaw puller pedals past rows of auto-rickshaws and taxis
otic roads with an almost where more than 100,000 roads and asked what the parked during a public transport strike in New Delhi, India, Thurs-
tenfold increase in fines for people are killed and near- government was doing to day, Sept. 19, 2019.
traffic offenses. ly 500,000 injured in acci- fix them.q Associated Press