JCP calls for a thorough investigation into corruption of Dietmembers' private secretaries

The Japanese Communist Party on January 17 called for a thorough investigation into the corruption of Dietmembers' private secretaries receiving money from companies in exchange for information about bids for public construction works projects.

At a press conference in the Diet building, Kokuta Keiji, JCP Diet Policy Commission chair, demanded that the Dietmembers as bosses of the secretaries in question and their parties make their own efforts to establish the facts and make them public.

Kokuta also demanded that the two secretaries, Sato Saburo, secretary to the former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Kato Koichi, and Ozaki Mitsuro, former secretary to Democratic Party of Japan Vice President Kano Michihiko, be summoned to the Diet as witnesses.

He insisted that the relevant law be revised so that Dietmembers' private secretaries, not only Dietmembers and their official secretaries, can also be punished for engaging in such a dishonest business.

Kokuta said, "When the law was discussed in the Diet in 2000, the opposition parties jointly proposed to have private secretaries covered by the law, but the ruling parties turned down our proposal and corruption has taken place. They are responsible."

The JCP will set up a special investigation team on January 21. (end)