Sato and Suzuki are being prosecuted, and risk up to ten years in jail if convicted, after they exposed a major corruption scandal surrounding the Japanese government-sponsored Southern Ocean whaling programme. The two removed a box of embezzled whale meat from a mail depot, and presented it to Japan's Public Prosecutor to prove the existence of corruption in the government-subsidised whaling programme.
The prosecutor had tried to paint the actions of the defendants as a simple case of theft, arguing that all evidence related to the underlying embezzlement scandal should be ruled irrelevant. The court, however, indicated that the evidence of embezzlement will have a place in the trial.
"In this trial, we want to establish that what Junichi and Toru did was to corroborate information provided by whistleblowers regarding embezzlement within the Kyodo Senpaku whaling fleet," said defence lawyer Yuichi Kaido.
"With the prosecutor's opinion being rejected by the court, we have gained a foothold in this case and the opportunity to prove that there was indeed embezzlement of whale meat by employees."
Furthermore, the court also requested the disclosure of additional evidence of embezzlement held by the prosecutor's office that has not yet been made public. This could possibly include key statements made to police by employees of Kyodo Senpaku, the company contracted to carry out the Southern Ocean whaling programme.
"The government was hoping to bury this scandal by putting the messengers on trial," said Jun Hoshikawa, Greenpeace Japan Executive Director. "However, as more evidence of embezzlement comes to light, at the end of the day it will be whaling that is on trial."
Greenpeace is an independent, global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment, and to promote peace.
Other contacts: Greg McNevin - Greenpeace International Communications, +81 (0)80 5416 6506, 
Kyoko Murakami - Greenpeace Japan Communications, +81 (0)3 5338 9816, 
Notes: An investigation begun by Sato and Suzuki in April 2008 focused on organised whale meat embezzlement conducted by whaling fleet crew from Japan's so-called "scientific" whaling programme, which is funded by Japanese taxpayers. Following information from an informer who had previously been involved in the whaling programme, Sato and Suzuki discovered firm evidence that cardboard boxes containing whale meat were being secretly shipped to the homes of whaling fleet crew - and then sold for personal profit. Junichi Sato delivered a box of this whale meat to the Tokyo Prosecutors' Office in May 2008, and filed a report of embezzlement. However, the embezzlement investigation was dropped on 20 June - the same day that both men were arrested and then held for 26 days before being charged with theft and trespass.
More: http://www.greenpeace.org/tokyo-twoGreenpeace investigation: Japan's stolen whale meat scandal:http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/whale-meat-scandal-dossier
Whale Meat Scandal Part Two: The Cover Up:http://www.greenpeace.or.jp/press/releases/attached/dossier2-web.pdf