Ashgate Scandal (Makko Oko)
| Date | October 14, 2023 – May 1, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Cause | The exposure of government involvement in the radioactive poisonings of the populace |
| Target | His Emperor's Government |
Ashgate, also referred to as the Ashgate Scandal, was a major political scandal in Makko Oko regarding the exposure of government involvement in an outbreak of radiation poisonings that had plagued the nation. The scandal led to the nation's greatest attempt at overthrowing the regime of Emperor Conall Solis, and the Empire's first impeachment hearing on Minister of Health Danika Hicks. It stemmed from the attempted cover-up and silencing of the true origin and nature of the radiation, with the government refusing to answer questions posed by the health ministry, which had primary authority in investigating the outbreak.
Before Ashgate
Project Cobra
Project Cobra was an internal top-secret project run by the government's foreign intelligence agency, the FIS, which stretches back to when it was formerly known as the CIB. This project was found to be the start of the scandal because it was the plan to develop a weapon of torture to be used on people that the government needed information from, a weapon that harnessed radiation. The documents that were released revealed that the project was a complete success, and was used on a redacted citizen who was a part of the 2022 Constitutional Protests as a first test. They do not reveal its usage post-development, however, testimony before the Law Council would later reveal that the weapon was used in multiple cases that could not or would not be clarified on.
Start of the poisonings
The poisonings started before the scandal did, in Crestle.
Emergency declaration
Cover-up and its unraveling
Investigation & Domestic Response
Settlement Scheme
The NRSSS, or National Radiation Sickness Settlement Scheme, was established on February 27th, 2025 to provide medical support and financial compensation to victims of the scandal. The scheme was not without debate and dispute, with the first talks on a settlement scheme beginning back in March 2024 during the commission's inquiry into the scandal. The scheme was hated by some and called corrupt because the scheme was not independently run, and instead run by the very government that wronged and lied to them to start with. Some applicants of the scheme claimed that they were verbally abused and chose to reject the scheme altogether in response. The government rejects those claims and has refused an inquiry into the matter.
The scheme provided eligible applicants with anywhere from IDH$7,000-IDH$350,000 depending on the severity of the sickness (symptoms etc.), how negatively it affected the applicant and the expected longevity of the sickness. If an applicant under the scheme had a diagnosed "lifetime" sickness duration, they were given a MakCare Premium Services Plan free for the rest of their life, and if they were no longer able to work due to said sickness, they were made eligible to receive their ORSPS benefit early, no matter their age, and got a permanent 1% boost in their payments, however, it didn't apply if they didn't qualify for their pension normally. Instead, they would only be eligible for a Tier A pension, which allows for a maximum payout of 7%. They were also eligible for the DAP.
