Photo/Illutration Hideyuki Fukuda, head of the Saga prefectural police, speaks with reporters on Sept. 29. (Takako Fuchizawa)

SAGA—The chief of the Saga prefectural police reassured the public that no third-party probe was needed for 130 inappropriate acts by a now fired forensic scientist concerning DNA testing.

Hideyuki Fukuda made the comments on Sept. 29 in his first regularly scheduled news conference after the revelation that the forensic scientist in his 40s had faked DNA reports between 2017 and 2024.

The Saga prefectural bar association and others had demanded that a third-party committee be established to look into the matter.

Fukuda had said in responding to the Saga prefectural assembly that he felt no such committee was needed since the prefectural public safety commission had already conducted an investigation and that he considered that commission independent of the police.

The forensic scientist was fired on Sept. 8 and police sent papers to prosecutors on 13 particularly egregious cases on suspicion of falsifying official documents.

Fukuda revealed at his news conference that the forensic specialist evaded detection of his improper acts for years because of insufficient oversight.

The police chief said the prefectural forensic science department did not have established rules or guidelines for scientists conducting DNA analysis.

He added that to prevent a recurrence such scientists in the future would always have other staff checking their work, with their immediate superior involved at every stage of the analytical process.

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