Japan’s Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA) has revealed that Aleph, the successor group to the Aum Shinrikyo cult, may have concealed over 700 million yen in assets to evade compensation payments to victims.
The agency’s analysis as of February 2024 suggests that Aleph failed to report a significant portion of its holdings.
Aleph is one of three successor groups to Aum Shinrikyo, along with 'Yamada’s Group,' a splinter faction, and 'Hikari no Wa,' founded by former senior member Fumihiro Joyu.
As of January 2025, there were approximately 1,600 individuals associated with the former cult, including those not affiliated with any specific group.
Under government monitoring orders, all three groups are required to report their assets and membership status every three months.
However, Aleph’s declared assets have sharply declined in recent years—from 1.28 billion yen in February 2019 to just 8 million yen in February 2024. By February 2025, this figure had risen slightly to 61 million yen.
Since the bankruptcy of Aum Shinrikyo in 1996, Aleph has pledged to continue compensating victims of the Tokyo subway sarin attack and other crimes.
However, it still owes approximately 1 billion yen to the 'Aum Shinrikyo Crime Victims Support Organization.
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This revelation raises questions about the financial transparency of Aleph and its ongoing activities.
Should stricter financial oversight be imposed to ensure that justice is served for the victims of Aum Shinrikyo’s crimes?.