The public prosecutors offices for the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka districts have special investigation squads — elite teams that specialize in the investigation of corruption involving politicians and bureaucrats and large-scale crimes involving enterprises. Unlike other prosecutors, they make arrests as well as prepare indictments.
The arrest Oct. 1 of two senior prosecutors at the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office's special investigation squad on suspicion of covering up the alleged destruction of evidence by a subordinate deals a devastating blow not only to the squad but also to the nation's public prosecution offices, although the two prosecutors deny the allegations against them.
The nature of the alleged crimes by the two is such that people will suspect that something is basically wrong with all public prosecutors even if most are properly doing their work by upholding the principles of investigation.