Shinzo Abe's assassination: Japan national police chief resigns

After a probe revealed "shortcomings" in the security arrangements for killed Japanese prime leader Shinzo Abe, the chief of Japan's National Police Agency announced his resignation on Thursday.

Itaru Nakamura told reporters that "there were deficiencies in the security plans and the risk evaluations on which they were based, and direction from the field commander was insufficient."

"The constraints of the current system, which has been in place for years, where local police bear primary responsibility for providing security, are at the foundation of this problem," he continued.

Nakamura declared that he would resign as police chief and accept responsibility for the mistakes.

“We have decided to shake up our personnel and start afresh with our security duties, and that’s why I tendered my resignation to the National Public Safety Commission today,” he said.

On July 8 in the Nara region, Abe was shot and died while running for office.

His alleged assailant was apprehended on the scene and is reported to have chosen Abe because he felt he was associated with the Unification Church.

Even though Abe was the most well-known politician in Japan and had been prime minister the longest, there was little to no security as he gave a campaign speech on a street in the west.

Security for the former leader had "undeniable" faults, according to local police in the region.

Tetsuya Yamagami, the man suspected of killing Abe, is reportedly having a psychiatric examination to ascertain his mental state at the time of the murder.

Before deciding whether to indict Yamagami, prosecutors are anticipated to use the examination to assess whether he can be held criminally liable.

According to reports, Yamagami's mother sent significant payments to the church, which her son claimed was the cause of the family's financial problems.

Soon after Abe passed away, his family held a private funeral for him. However, a state funeral is also being planned, and world leaders are expected to attend the service on September 27.

According to the government, the service will be "non-denominational, basic, and sombre." However, the proposal has come under fire for using taxpayer money to pay for a politician's funeral.

Even after leaving office in 2020 due to health issues, Abe continued to play a significant role in society. However, he was also a contentious figure who was accused of cronyism and derided for his ardent nationalist beliefs.

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