Damian Prendergast
22 January, 2008
Last April popular Nagasaki mayor Iccho Ito was shot twice in the back by Tetsuya Shiroo, an alleged member of the Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate. The Mayor was purportedly killed for refusing to grant a soft government loan to one of the assassin's associates. Mr Shiroo has apologized in court, Agence France-Presse reports.
The ganster pledged to atone for his loss of face through ritual disemboweling, but did not specify who.
Defence lawyers claim the shooting was accidental, and that the defendant is not likely to re-offend. They dispute the details of a subsequent attempt to shoot Mayor Ito's ashes.
Mr Shiroo offered to demonstrate his sincerity to the court by cutting off the judge's fingers.
