Agriculture minister again refuses to disclose office expense receipts

   Agriculture Minister Akagi Norihiko at a news conference on July 10 again refused to make public receipts for office expenses that his political organization included in its political funds report.

   Akagi insists that the funds reports are appropriate, saying, “There has been no mix-ups between private and public expenses, fictitious expenses, or diversion of expenses.”

   Asked if he might be willing to show receipts concerned, he refused to do so by saying, “I have filed the political funds reports in compliance with the Political Funds Control Law,” the same wording as his predecessor Matsuoka Toshikatsu, who committed suicide, had used.

   Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi later in the day criticized Akagi, saying, “His explanation is far from satisfactory.”

   Referring to Akagi’s remark that he needs not make public something not required by law, Ichida said, “It is natural for the public to believe that he refused the disclosure because he feels guilty.”

   Ichida went on to say, “Mr. Akagi’s remark is exactly the same as what the former agriculture minister had said.”

   Demanding that Akagi make public an itemized account of expenditures with receipts attached, Ichida said, “If he refuses to do so, it amounts to a virtual acceptance of the allegation. In that case, he must resign or Prime Minister Abe Shinzo must dismiss him.”

   Asked about a recent move within the Liberal Democratic Party to establish a bylaw to require political organizations other than political fund management organizations to attach receipts to their political funds reports, Ichida said, “From the beginning, the JCP has demanded that political organizations be required to attach receipts. If the LDP really wants to make this a rule, they should have done so as part of their bills to revise the Political Funds Control Law which they forcibly enacted in the recent session of the Diet. I must say that the LDP’s scheme to establish a bylaw is simply aimed at evading public criticism.”

- Akahata, July 11, 2007