Summon gangster-related lawmaker as witness: opposition parties

The four opposition parties have unanimously agreed to call on the Diet to summon lawmaker Matsunami Kenshiro as a witness to inquire into the suspected payment of allowances to his secretary by a gangster-related construction company.

With a view to submitting a motion to the parliament to recommend New Conservative Party Matsunami to resign as a Dietmember, Diet policy committee chairpersons of the Japanese Communist, Democratic, Liberal and Social Democratic parties met on April 17 and decided to call for the summoning of Matsunami before the Lower House budget committee.

Matsunami reportedly had his secretary's wages paid by an Osaka-based construction company whose president was a former gangster. When the Osaka Prefectural Police placed the president on the wanted list for suspected involvement in a fake bidding scheme, Matsunami asked the police about the progress of the investigation.

The four parties also agreed on the need to call on the National Public Safety Commission chair to attend a related committee meeting. (end)