Lineage 64 Leak: Voluntary Questioning Begins for the Narrowed-Down Worker
In the case of the leaked leather pouch (Lineage 64) from the Third Appraisal Center's storage building, voluntary police questioning of the contract worker whose access pattern was narrowed down on the 23rd began on the 27th, it was learned on the 28th. The worker's actual involvement remains unconfirmed, and police continue to investigate cautiously on both theft and property-damage grounds.
As previously reported on the 23rd, the investigation into the Lineage 64 leak — a leather pouch that vanished from the Third Appraisal Center's storage building — had narrowed the outside contract workers confirmed present during the gap in entry logs from several to one. Police began voluntary questioning of that worker on the 27th. A center official reiterated, "The narrowing was based purely on recorded presence; it does not establish involvement, and that explanation hasn't changed."
■ Nothing Beyond "Under Investigation"
Police declined on the 28th to disclose the content or number of questioning sessions, citing the ongoing investigation, and said their approach — pursuing both theft and property-damage angles — remains unchanged. Asked about the roughly two weeks between the leak's discovery on the 12th and the start of questioning, one investigative source said, "Reviewing the records took time, but the timing of the questioning itself isn't especially fast or slow."
■ Tsuyuki: "I'll Keep Saying the Same Thing Until There's a Result"
Kaname Tsuyuki, 56, chairman of the industry group Preliminary Appraisal Association, previously reported, commented on the start of questioning: "The fact that questioning has begun doesn't mean anything has been decided. Until there's a result, all I can do is keep saying the same thing — don't rush to identify someone." As previously reported, Tsuyuki has consistently urged against hasty identification since the leak came to light.
■ The Center's Response
The Third Appraisal Center maintains its previously reported plan to announce a review of its contracting practices and an improved management framework for the storage building between late October and November. A center representative said, "The progress of the questioning and the review of our management system are proceeding as separate, parallel efforts." The representative added, "Among the roughly 4,200 items checked in the emergency inspection on the 15th, no new irregularities have been found so far. Separately from this case, we've also begun considering whether the frequency of our regular inspections itself needs revisiting."
■ Over Two Weeks Since the Leak Came to Light
Looking back at the timeline: the Lineage 64 leather pouch had vanished from the shelf after completing its formal appraisal in 2019, and the leak came to light on the 12th when it appeared in listing photos at an online marketplace in a port city in Etsuyo. An emergency inspection of roughly 4,200 items across all shelving followed on the 15th; a week-long gap in entry logs was found on the 18th; and the pool of contract workers was narrowed to one by the 23rd. Today's questioning comes just over two weeks after the leak first surfaced.
■ Concerns Over Fallout for the Industry
Tsuyuki of the Preliminary Appraisal Association also said, upon the start of questioning, "I think of this industry as a waiting room before formal appraisal. But if things like this keep happening, the waiting room itself stops being trusted" — again voicing concern over the reputational impact on the industry as a whole. Of the 47 companies in the association, only a limited number hold contracts with the Third Appraisal Center, but Tsuyuki disclosed, "I'm hearing that inquiries have increased even for companies with no direct connection to this case."
■ What Comes Next
Whether the voluntary questioning will continue, or what result it might produce, remains unclear as of the 28th. Both the route and the full extent of the leak remain unexplained, left to stand. This paper will follow up once a result emerges.
