Finance minister refuses to answer on his 3-month old story about state secret funds

Finance Minister Shiokawa Masajuro in parliament refused to answer a question concerning his former revelation of the secret state funds being used to get legislation enacted.

This was in the Lower House Budget Committee meeting on May 15. Asked by Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Kokuta Keiji concerning a TV interview in which he said, "It's true that the secret funds are used to control opposition parties," Shiokawa said, "I do not remember."

The questionable secret state funds are estimated to be 7.2 billion yen (58 million dollars).
In January Shiokawa said to the TV interviewer, "The secret funds were kept in a safe in the Prime Minister's Official Residence in envelopes containing one million yen (81,000 dollars) each . Replenishment followed expenditure." The remarks conveyed the realism of a first-hand story.

The Shiokawa remark on TV attracted attention because it was the first revelation by a politician who directly administered the secret state funds used by the government and the ruling parties for partisan purposes.

It has been revealed that Shiokawa as chief cabinet secretary distributed tax money to opposition parties (except the JCP) as secret money to get their cooperation in Diet steering, and in various forms such as cash, gifts,or wining and dining. It is also known that large sums were used to get the consumption tax bill enacted.

For a state minister who is responsible to answer to parliament, keeping silent about the statement he made just three months ago by saying that does not remember means that the Koizumi Cabinet will continue to conceal facts about secret state funds. By refusing to investigate into the matter, the cabinet will allow public money to be used in the interests of the parties in power.

Urged by JCP Kokuta for reply, Shiokawa promised to answer after monitoring the taped video of the TV program. (end)