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Statement of Ito - 6 January 1947 Murata was a Lieutenant in charge of investigation for War Depart. Legal Section. Four of the flyers who were suspected of violation of International Law were turned over to Murata for reinvestigation. A result of this case was sent to the War Department but no answer was received so Ito had Murata send a telegram on 14 June to which there was no answer. Ito heard from Murata or Wako that flyers were sent to the Kyushu Imperial University Autopsy Section prior to the 20 June execution. This information being given him two or three days after the war. As to the four flyers investigated for indiscriminate bombing, Murata and Ito were not sure whether additional evidence was needed. Murata stated the flyers had bombed the Tokyo Area. Either Wako or Murata told Ito that Toji volunteered to Sato to be an executioneer in the 20 June incident of the eight or nine,that Yokoyama gave permission for the execution and that Staff Section, with Sato in charge, was in control of the execution. That the Staff Section intended to report to Tokyo that these Prisoners of War were killed in a fire during the air raid. Sato told Murata that the Legal Section should submit a report to the Tokyo Legal Section that four men to be tried were on the list killed in the Fukuoka air raid. (20 June execution). Murata said that the Staff Section had killed about six or seven prisoners prior to June; that this was kept secret, the reason being that the list had 16 names. After the war Murata said he had heard a rumor that six or seven were sent to KIU hospital. He heard from Murata, after the war, that Tomomori, Fukushima and Sato were excited over the remains of the 16 Prisoners of War purported to be killed in the 19 June bombing. Either Murata or Wako told Ito after the first execution that the Commanding General had given his permission. |