Komasawa Sadayasu and others
DATE OF CRIMES
Between 11 and 30 April 1945
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LOCATION OF CRIMES
Prachuap Khirikhan, Siam (present-day Thailand) and Mergui, Burma (present-day Myanmar)
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DATE OF TRIAL
28 October 1946
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LOCATION OF TRIAL
Singapore
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Case Summary
Eight Japanese officers from the 29th Mixed Independent Infantry Brigade were accused of ill-treating a party of British, Australian and Dutch Prisoners-of-War (POWs) who were tasked with building a road that ran from Prachuap Khirikhan, Siam to Mergui, Burma. All eight defendents were found not guilty as the judges found the "case against [them] groundless". The reasons cited were that a confession implicating another is only admissible against the person who made it and that a statement of an accomplice is not a corroboration of a statement made by another accomplice. Therefore, no specific or objective ill-treatment was proven against the defendants.
For more information see:
http://www.legal-tools.org/doc/b6de2a/
http://www.legal-tools.org/doc/ebe9cd/
http://www.legal-tools.org/doc/7812a3/
Defence counsel did not make any submissions and in fact, none of the defendants were physically present for the actual trial. The trial largely relied on affadavits submitted during the investigation.
DEFENDANTS
Komasawa, Sadayasu. Colonel. From Japanese military. From Japan. Not guilty.
Kamada, Takeshi. Major. From Japanese military. From Japan. Not guilty.
Nagasaki, Masatomo. Captain. From Japanese military. From Japan. Not guilty.
Takao, Hisakiohi. Captain. From Japanese military. From Japan. Not guilty.
Kubo, Yoshio. Captain. From Japanese military. From Japan. Not guilty.
Kondo, Buniohi. Lieutenant. From Japanese military. From Japan. Not guilty.
Kanamori, Tetsujiro. Lieutenant. From Japanese military. From Japan. Not guilty.
Hayashi, Muneo. Lieutenant. From Japanese military. From Japan. Not guilty.
JUDGES
Smith, H. E. R. Lieutenant Colonel. From British military. Court president.
Hebden, E. N. Captain. From British military.
Dunsford, E. H. Captain. From British military.
PROSECUTION
Khan, A. M. Major. From British Indian Army.
DEFENCE LAWYERS
Sawada, Tatsuo. Graduate, Tokyo University.
DEFENCE ADVISORY OFFICERS
Wait, R. T. Captain. From British military.