BIG STORY

Japanese Court Acquits 88-Yr-Old Death Row Inmate, Iwao Hakamada, After Over 50 Years In Prison

Published

6 months ago

September 26, 2024

In a landmark ruling, a Japanese court has acquitted Iwao Hakamada, the world’s longest-serving death row inmate.

The 88-year-old was found guilty in 1968 of a quadruple murder but was recently granted a retrial after doubts arose about the evidence used to convict him.

Investigators are now suspected of planting evidence that led to Hakamada’s wrongful conviction, making his case one of Japan’s most notorious and enduring legal sagas.

The acquittal has sparked widespread public interest in Japan, with hundreds of people lining up for seats in the courtroom during the proceedings in Shizuoka on Thursday.

In 1966, the former professional boxer was working at a miso processing plant when the bodies of his employer, the man’s wife, and their two children were discovered in the aftermath of a fire at their home in Shizuoka, west of Tokyo.

All four victims had been fatally stabbed

Authorities accused Hakamada of murdering the family, starting the fire, and stealing 200,000 yen in cash.

‘Coerced’ Confession

Initially, Hakamada denied any involvement in the robbery and killings. However, he later confessed — a statement he later described as coerced following lengthy interrogations and beatings that lasted up to 12 hours a day.

In 1968, Hakamada was convicted of murder and arson and sentenced to death.

Some bloodstained clothes found in a tank of miso shortly after the bodies were discovered were tendered in evidence during the decade-long trial. Those clothes were used to incriminate Hakamada.

For years, Hakamada’s lawyers argued that the DNA on the clothes found at the crime scene did not match his, suggesting that the clothes could belong to someone else.

They also raised concerns that the police may have tampered with evidence.

In 2014, Hiroaki Murayama, a judge, agreed, stating that “the clothes were not those of the defendant” and that continuing to detain Hakamada was unjust, given the strong possibility of his innocence.

Hakamada was released and granted a retrial.

Mental Health Affected

However, the retrial did not start until last year due to a lengthy legal process.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, the court finally declared Hakamada innocent, ruling that prosecutors had fabricated key evidence.

Hakamada was absent during the court proceedings as decades of imprisonment, most of it in solitary confinement under the constant threat of execution, have severely impacted his mental health.

He has lived with Hideko, his 91-year-old sister, since his release in 2014.

Retrials for death row inmates are rare in Japan. Hakamada’s case is only the fifth of its kind since World War II.

Japan, along with the United States, is the only G7 country that still enforces capital punishment, with death row inmates receiving only a few hours notice before their execution.

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Drops To 23.18%

Published

4 hours ago

March 17, 2025

PorscheClassy News

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported a decrease in Nigeria’s inflation rate, which fell to 23.18% in February from 24.48% in January.

The announcement was made in the February 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) released by the NBS on Monday.

According to the bureau, the headline inflation rate in February increased slightly by “1.30% points when compared to the January 2025 headline inflation rate.”

The NBS stated:

“In February 2025, the Headline inflation rate eased to 23.18% relative to the January 2025 headline inflation rate of 24.48%.”

“Looking at the movement, the February 2025 Headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 1.30% compared to the January 2025 Headline inflation rate.”

On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 8.52% lower than the 31.70% recorded in February 2024.

The NBS further noted:

“This shows that the Headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) decreased in February 2025 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., February 2024), though with a different base year, November 2009 = 100.”

Additionally, the month-on-month inflation rate for February 2025 was recorded at 2.04%.

More to come…

Post Views: 33

BIG STORY

Rivers Assembly Accuses Fubara, Deputy Of Misconduct, Issues Notice

Published

8 hours ago

March 17, 2025

PorscheClassy News

The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a notice accusing Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, of alleged misconduct.

A total of twenty-six members of the assembly made these allegations against Fubara in a notice submitted to Speaker Martin Amaewhule on Monday.

According to the lawmakers, their actions are based on “Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other existing laws.”

They accused Fubara of various offenses, including unconstitutional and reckless spending of public funds, hindering the Assembly’s activities, and appointing individuals to government positions without undergoing the required screening and confirmation.

Additional allegations include withholding salaries, allowances, and funds designated for the Rivers State House of Assembly, as well as blocking the salary of Clerk Emeka Amadi.

The lawmakers also accused Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu of “conniving and supporting the illegal appointment of persons to government positions without the required screening and confirmation.”

After receiving the notice, Amaewhule forwarded it to Fubara, stating that the allegations had been brought forward by “not less than one-third (1/3) of the membership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

He then urged the governor to respond to the allegations, citing Section 188(3) of the Constitution, which states, “Within 14 days of the presentation of the notice to the Speaker of the House of Assembly (whether or not any statement made by the holder of the office in reply to the allegation contained in the notice), the House of Assembly shall resolve by motion, without any debate, whether or not the allegation shall be investigated.”

Amaewhule further advised the governor to take appropriate action and extended his “esteemed regards.”

Post Views: 43

BIG STORY

BREAKING: Lagos Court Orders Oba Otudeko To Appear For ‘N30bn Fraud’ Trial

Published

10 hours ago

March 17, 2025

PorscheClassy News

The Federal High Court in Lagos has instructed Oba Otudeko to appear before the court and enter a plea in response to the charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The directive was issued on Monday by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke.

The EFCC had previously filed a 13-count charge against Otudeko and three others over an alleged N30 billion loan fraud.

During the proceedings, the judge ruled that Otudeko must take his plea before the court could address an application contesting its jurisdiction in the matter.

The case has been adjourned to May 8.

More to come…

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