Lower House committee accuses lawmaker Suzuki of giving false evidences

The House of Representatives Budget Committee on September 5 decided to file a perjury complaint with the Supreme Prosecutors Office against Suzuki Muneo, a Lower House member who left the Liberal Democratic Party in connection with a series of political corruption scandals.

The committee said that contrary to his remarks under oath at a committee meeting in March, Suzuki must have known that donations from Shimada Construction Co., one of the companies supporting Suzuki, were illegal, that Shimada Construction had paid salaries to his private secretary, and that Suzuki was responsible for the decision to postpone the sending of an emergency medical aid group to flood-hit Mozambique.

Suzuki was arrested and indicted on a charge of accepting a bribe in return for services promised to his aides in relation to government projects on the Russian-held four Northern Islands off Hokkaido. He is now under investigation.

On May 19, the four opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, submitted a motion to the committee accusing him of lying regarding his involvement in a bidding for the construction of an accommodation facility on Russian-held Kunashiri Island off Hokkaido. However, the LDP and its coalition parties rejected the motion. (end)