After an investigation revealed “shortcomings” in the security arrangements for assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe, the head of Japan’s National Police Agency announced his resignation on Thursday.
Abe, the most well-known politician in the nation and its longest-serving prime minister, was shot and killed on July 8 in the western Japanese city of Nara.
Itaru Nakamura told reporters that “there were deficiencies in the security plans and the risk assessments on which they were based, and direction from the field commander was insufficient.” “The limitations of the current system, which has been in place for years, where local police bear sole responsibility for providing security, are at the root of this issue.”
Nakamura declared that he would resign as police chief and accept responsibility for the mistakes.
I have submitted my resignation to the National Public Safety Commission today because we have decided to reorganise our staff and begin anew with our security responsibilities, he said.
The alleged assassin of Abe was apprehended on the scene and is thought to have chosen the politician because he felt the politician was affiliated with the Unification Church.
Security for the former leader was relatively lax on the day he was shot, and local police in the region had earlier admitted “undeniable” faults.On Thursday, the police head of Nara also tenderly announced his resignation.
Areas south of the podium where Abe spoke were allegedly not adequately guarded, opening a path for the shooter to enter, according to the National Police Agency’s assessment.
Tetsuya Yamagami, the man suspected of killing Abe, is thought to have fired two bullets with a homemade weapon.
But according to the police report, witnesses did not immediately recognise that the first shot was made by a gun, which “created delays in their rushing to his (Abe’s) defence.”
If they had recognised the danger right away and removed Abe for safety when the first gunshot was heard, Nakamura claimed that what transpired would have been avoided.
