Monday, August 27, 2018, 15:00 - 16:00
"Fisheries Agency Lawsuit: Money for Whaling, Not Tsunami Victims?"
Ren Yabuki, Director, NGO LIA (Life Investigation Agency)
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation
After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Japan's Fisheries Agency obtained funds for rehabilitation. However, some 2.3 billion yen (over $21 million) of these funds were allegedly spent on countermeasures against anti-whaling groups, and operations of the Japan Whaling Laboratory Foundation.
The purpose of the rehabilitation fund was to help restore the property of families, businesses, and government facilities lost in the disaster. The LIA believes government officials inappropriately misdirected these funds, and plans to file charges of criminal fraud against the government immediately before the press conference.
LIA Executive Director Ren Yabuki will describe the content of the lawsuit against the fisheries agency, and outline the plaintiffs' claims of how money went to both South Pole and Northwest Pacific Ocean whaling activities. Yabuki will also talk about the culture of bureaucratic financial mismanagement that led to the situation.
Please reserve in advance, 3211-3161 or on the website (still & TV cameras inclusive). Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation.
Professional Activities Committee
