A former senior member of Aum Shinrikyo testified March 13 that he tried unsuccessfully in the fall of 1989 to install a wiretapping device at the home and office of a Diet member under the orders of cult founder Shoko Asahara.
Yasuo Hayashi, 40, stands accused of murder, attempted murder and other charges in connection with the March 1995 subway gassing, the June 1994 Matsumoto nerve gas attack and the May 1995 foiled cyanide gas attack at Shinjuku Station. He testified as a prosecution witness in Asahara's trial and was cross-examined by the defense March 13.
He was arrested on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture in December 1996 after 18 months on the run. In a soft voice and demeanor that betrays the widely-reported image of a fearless fugitive before his arrest, Hayashi told the court that he became a live-in cult follower in December 1988, hoping to "shine" his mind and "bring some kind of benefit to society."