Dead notary's sister takes stand against Aum

The Japan Times/May 27, 1999

A former Aum Shinrikyo follower whose brother was allegedly abducted and drugged to death by cultists testified before the Tokyo District Court on Thursday that the cult's continuing activities threaten the lives of herself and other relatives.

In the hearing of Aum founder Shoko Asahara, the sister of Tokyo notary public Kiyoshi Kariya said she still feels insecure about testifying, fearing it could arouse the cult to attack her and Kariya's family.

The witness also said she initially was afraid to tell police and prosecutors what she knew because she had suspected Aum members might have infiltrated law enforcement bodies.

"Aum is an eccentric cult, and we don't know what they'll do," she said. "I can't believe Aum is still allowed to carry on after all they have done."

Kariya allegedly was abducted from a Tokyo street on Feb. 28, 1995. At the time, he was trying to separate his sister from the cult.

In the morning session, former senior cultist Yoshihiro Inoue, 29, said Asahara, 44, in 1993 began to persistently order cult members to gather more offerings from followers so he could militarize the cult.

Since Kariya's sister had already given about 40 million yen, the cult apparently abducted Kariya to ask about his sister's whereabouts so it could push her to make more offerings.