91.   And separately, the Tokyo District Court sentenced a former cultist to seven years in prison Wednesday for abetting murder in the subway attack.

92.   As in the subway attack, authorities blamed sarin, a nerve gas developed by the Nazis in World War II.

93.   Asahara and other cult leaders allegedly plotted the subway gas attack and other crimes to cause chaos that would hamper a police investigation of the group.

94.   Asahara has been charged with masterminding the subway gas attack, allegedly part of a plan aimed at bringing the cult to power in Japan.

95.   Asahara has been directly implicated by his followers in the subway attack, according to press reports.

96.   Asahara himself continues to maintain his innocence, but his top lieutenants have been divulging details of the subway attack.

97.   Asahara was questioned again Tuesday morning, Kyodo News Service said, but he kept silent about the subway attack.

98.   Aside from occasional unintelligible outbursts, he had not previously responded to former disciples testifying that he planned and ordered the subway attack.

99.   Asahara faces a variety of other charges in addition to the subway attack, including the slaying of a wayward follower.

100.   Asahara first was arrested last May on charges of masterminding the subway attack.