The Nara prefecture police chief said Saturday that there were “undeniable” loopholes in the security measures of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead Friday at a campaign rally in the western Japanese city, and promised an investigation.
Security is sometimes not strict during local election rallies in Japan, where violent crime is rare and gun laws are very strict, but some say measures were not enough in Nara given the importance of Abe’s person.
“I think it is undeniable that there are problems with escort procedures and security arrangements for former Prime Minister Abe,” Tomoaki Onizuka, the Nara prefectural police chief, told reporters, vowing to “fully expose the problems and take action as a result.”
“It is urgent that we conduct an in-depth investigation to clarify what happened,” he added, without expanding on the shortcomings in the security arrangements Friday.
Commenting on the assassination of Shinzo Abe, he said, “Since I became a police officer in 1995 and throughout my more than 27-year career, I have felt no greater remorse and no greater regret than I do today.”
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