Saga Improper DNA Analyses Had No Impact on Probes: NPA

Tokyo, Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)–Improper DNA analyses conducted by a former Saga prefectural police member have had no adverse impact on investigations by the police in southwestern Japan, the National Police Agency said in an interim report on Thursday. According to the report by the NPA’s special inspection team, DNA analyses in 130 cases deemed inappropriate by the prefectural police did not lead to wrongful arrests or other problems. The ongoing special inspection is assessing the impact of the misconduct on investigations and trials by reviewing relevant documents and examining testing procedures by checking DNA analysis records and data from testing equipment. The interim report focuses on the 130 cases. The NPA plans to eventually investigate all 643 cases handled by the former member of the prefectural police’s crime laboratory between 2015 and 2024. The report found that DNA analyses were conducted in 101 of the 130 cases for criminal investigation purposes, including the examination of personal items left at the scene. Suspects were arrested in 38 of those cases, but all arrests were supported by other evidence, such as security camera footage, the report said. In 35 cases, excluding those currently under review by public prosecutors, trials were not affected by the misconduct because DNA analyses were not used as evidence. No clear impact on investigations was confirmed in 25 cases still under investigation and nine cases for which the statute of limitations had expired. Still, the NPA said it will continue to examine whether inappropriate DNA analyses hindered police investigations. To examine the analysis procedures in question, 17 specialists, including experts from the NPA’s National Research Institute of Police Science, compared documents containing analysis results with electronic data stored on the devices. They are reviewing the procedures while consulting with two university professors. This process is expected to take several months to complete. The NPA said that it will implement measures to prevent a recurrence based on the results of its special inspection. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]