Gang-related politician admits receiving money from another gang

A ruling party politician, who is in the hot seat because of revelations that he has had cozy ties with a group of gangsters, admitted that he had received donations from another group.

New Conservative Party representative Matsunami Kenshiro admitted this in an answer to Japanese Communist Party representative Kodama Kenji at the Lower House Deliberative Council on Political Ethics on May 21.

At the opening of the ethics committee meeting, Matsunami denied his unconnection with gang groups except for the one which had paid his secretary's salaries. But Kodama revealed that Matsunami had received donations from another gangsters' group-related firm from 1999 to 2001.

Kodama urged Matsunami to give up his Lower House seat, but Matsunami refused to do so and instead showed his intention to run in the next election.

Later in the day, JCP Chair Shii Kazuo at a news conference said, "The committee exposed how deeply Matsunami has been involved in Japanese gangsters groups," and demanded his resignation from the Diet. (end)