A man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of ordering the murder of his brother's ex-girlfriend in Saitama Prefecture last October after distributing hundreds of fliers and posters to defame her.
Takeshi Komatsu, 33, of Kawaguchi in the prefecture, told the Urawa District Court: "I completely deny the charges. This is a false accusation." Komatsu, however, owned up to some of the defamation charges.
Two other men also charged in the case pleaded guilty to both murder and defamation charges.
The case has drawn nationwide attention after it was learned that police effectively ignored the victim's complaint last summer that she had been stalked by the ex-boyfriend, Kazuhito Komatsu, 27. He was also wanted for the murder but was found drowned in Hokkaido in January. Police believe he committed suicide.