TOKYO, Aug. 24 (Kyodo) - Fumihiro Joyu, a leading member of the AUM Shinrikyo religious cult, suggested Friday that he will assume leadership of the cult in the near future, taking over the post from current leader Tatsuko Muraoka.
Joyu, 38, told a Tokyo press conference that senior members of the group, which now calls itself Aleph, are discussing the leadership change and that an official decision will be made after a consensus is reached.
Muraoka, 50, is widely believed to be the nominal leader of the religious group, many of whose members have been convicted or are on trial in serious criminal cases, including the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system that left 12 people dead and thousands injured.
Joyu became well-known to the Japanese public through his media exposure as AUM's spokesman until his arrest in October 1995 on suspicion of perjury and document falsification.
He was convicted of the charges and released Dec. 29, 1999, after serving a three-year term. Following the release, he rejoined the religious cult.
Joyu also told the news conference the group members will refrain from attending court hearings of the cult's founder Shoko Asahara to ''completely sever contacts'' with him.
Asahara, 46, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, has been indicted on 13 criminal charges, including those related to the subway sarin gas attack.
The group said members who wish to attend a hearing may do so only once from September until it totally bans such attendance in April next year.
The cult will also collect from members books teaching Asahara's doctrines and distribute books with new teachings. It will also regularly open its facilities to local government officials and residents, AUM members said.
Public security authorities suspect Joyu is trying to emphasize he is not a direct successor of Asahara by distancing AUM followers from the founder and carefully considering the timing of his leadership assumption.
AP-NY-08-24-01 0723EDT
Copyright 2001 The Kyodo News Service.