Former premier sues Shinzo Abe for libel over Fukushima disaster
Prime minister says Kan's instructions to dampen nuclear emergency were 'made up'
Japan's premier at the time of the Fukushima crisis said he was suing the current prime minister for defamation over online comments about the way the emergency was handled.
With less than a week to go before upper house elections, Naoto Kan, who is now in opposition, said on his official website he would be taking legal action against Shinzo Abe.
Mr Shinzo Abe in his e-mail magazine ran a story entitled 'Mr Kan's instructions on using seawater (to cool reactors) are made up,' and despite my request for a correction and apology ... the story remains
Kan's office said in the days immediately after a huge tsunami swamped Fukushima in March 2011, that his government pressed plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) to use seawater to cool overheating reactors and prevent a catastrophe.
Tepco subsequently said Kan had wavered on allowing seawater to be used.
Kan's statement, posted yesterday, says Abe has repeated this claim. "Mr Shinzo Abe in his e-mail magazine ran a story entitled 'Mr Kan's instructions on using seawater (to cool reactors) are made up,' and despite my request for a correction and apology ... the story remains," Kan said on his official website.
Abe "is responsible for carrying out a fair election campaign ... I strongly demand he immediately admit his misconduct, delete the stories and apologise for this", Kan said.