Prosecutors admit Mainali not guilty
News On Japan via Yomiuri -- Oct 30
Prosecutors admitted the innocence of a Nepalese man convicted of the 1997 murder of a female employee of Tokyo Electric Power Co., at his retrial Monday.
During the Tokyo High Court hearing in the retrial of Govinda Prasad Mainali, 46, the prosecution said: "The possibility cannot be ruled out that a third person might be the culprit. Mainali, therefore, cannot be found guilty."
The hearing ended the same day. A ruling will be handed down Nov. 7. The acquittal of Mainali is expected to be finalized on that day since the prosecution plans to abandon its right to appeal to the Supreme Court.
In December 2000, the Tokyo High Court overturned a lower court ruling and issued a life prison sentence to Mainali for killing a 39-year-old TEPCO employee and robbing her of cash at an apartment in central Tokyo. The verdict became final in November 2003 after the Supreme Court turned down an appeal by Mainali.
Monday's retrial examined the case from the time of the appeal by prosecutors against the Tokyo District Court ruling in April 2000 that Mainali was not guilty.
15年前、東京電力の女性社員が殺害された事件で、無期懲役となったネパール人男性の再審の初公判が29日、東京高等裁判所で開かれる。検察は、異例の無罪主張をする見通しとなっている。
Source: Yomiuri
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