Plaintiffs: Social Responsibility Of Ex - Tepco Managers Recognized
Plaintiffs reported to supporters their victory in a lawsuit claiming the Tokyo Electric Power Company incurred massive losses from the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
On Wednesday, the Tokyo District Court ordered four former TEPCO executives to pay about 97 billion dollars in damages to the utility.
The plaintiffs held up a sign that read "shareholders' victory" in front of the court.
They had claimed that the managers knew a huge tsunami would come and should have done more to safeguard the plant.
One of the plaintiffs said in a trembling voice that the court has clearly stated that the executives fundamentally lacked safety awareness and a sense of responsibility. The plaintiff added the court has acknowledged that running a company involves social responsibility.
Lawyer Kaido Yuichi said that it is a groundbreaking ruling as the court has clearly expressed its fierce anger against TEPCO. He also said that the outcome is likely to have a definitive impact on the ruling in an appeal hearing in a criminal trial against three former executives scheduled in January.