Satoru Nomura, 74, led the Kodo Kai group, one of the criminal organizations known in Japan as the Yakuzami. The gang operated in Fukuoka Prefecture and was considered particularly dangerous by the authorities.
“The second in the gang, Fumio Tanui, 65, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday,” the Asahi Shimbun reported.
Between 1998 and 2014, members of the Kudo Kai shot the former head of a hunting cooperative, shooting a policeman and stabbing a nurse and dentist who was a relative of the first victim.
The perpetrators of these crimes have already been convicted, but according to the authorities, they acted on behalf of Nomura and Tanui.
Prosecutors did not provide direct evidence of the defendants’ involvement in the crimes, and they themselves did not admit guilt. However, the court ruled that a decision should be made about the attacks, given that they had absolute power over the gang.
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