TOKYO, Feb. 21 (Kyodo) - The Tokyo District Court on Thursday accepted AUM Shinrikyo cult founder Shoko Asahara's depositions for the first time in his long-running trial on charges including masterminding the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.
The Tokyo District Court admitted as evidence six depositions taken from Asahara, 46, during the 219th public hearing of his trial.
The six depositions were taken during the investigation of the 1994 murder of AUM follower Kotaro Ochida, 29.
Also admitted as evidence Thursday were four police investigation documents including the family register of Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto.
According to the depositions, Asahara denied he had ordered the killing of Ochida, who was trying to rescue a female follower from the cult's headquarters in Yamanashi Prefecture in January 1994 when he was killed.
''I intended to chastise him by having him throttled him but I never ordered him killed,'' Asahara said in the deposition.
''I was surprised to hear that he was dead. I still do not know what happened to the body as I told my followers I would leave the matter with them and left the room,'' the deposition said.
Asahara has pleaded not guilty to all charges except for one attempted murder case.
The prosecutors have summoned 163 witnesses to court, including former senior AUM members who have testified that Asahara instructed them to carry out the subway attack and other crimes.
Asahara has refused to consult with his lawyers, and legal analysts say it is unclear whether the defense team will be able to question the defendant in court.
The Tokyo subway gassing on March 20, 1995, left 12 people dead and more than 5,000 others injured.