Ex-chief of Nuclear watchdog questioned over Fukushima

Haruki Madarame, former chairman of the defunct Nuclear Safety Commission, has been questioned by prosecutors to determine whether he should face charges in connection with the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, it has been learned.

The prosecutors expect to decide by as early as next month whether Madarame, 64, should be held criminally responsible for causing deaths and bodily injury through professional negligence. TEPCO executives also have been questioned in this respect.

In August last year, the prosecutors received criminal complaints in 10 cases. They inspected sites near the nuclear power plant, analyzed data submitted by TEPCO and held hearings involving about 30 people, including prosecutors, at district public prosecutors offices in Tokyo and Fukushima.