Eliminate corruption involving the use of ministry subsidies

Japan Press Weekly

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Eliminate corruption involving the use of ministry subsidies
Akahata editorial (excerpts)

Four people, including chair and former vice chair of a social welfare corporation were arrested on suspicion of accounting fraud involving subsidies from tax revenues it received from the Health and Welfare Ministry.

They are executives of the All Japan Association of Social Rehabilitation for People with Mental Disabilities, which received more than 50 million yen in subsidies in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 from the ministry, as costs for research into supporting mentally disabled people’s “self-support” activities.

Of the 50 million yen, only 5 million yen was reportedly used for this aim and the rest was spent illegally.

It is highly suspected that a part of the misused funds as kicked back secretly to select politicians.

Recently, the involvement of the ministry’s high officials, their retirees, and influential politicians concerned has been uncovered.

The arrested directors of the association confessed that a ministry official in charge of funding subsidies for ‘self-support’ knew that the money had been used for other purposes.

One of the recipients is reportedly a former Dietmember of the Liberal Democratic Party as well as a former vice welfare minister, who is suspected of being involved in the payment of subsidies.

It is absolutely unacceptable for politicians to receive donations from any association funded by the government.

The legal responsibility of all these directors and politicians, as well as ministry officials must be thoroughly examined under the law to ensure a proper enforcement of budget subsidies, banning illegal applications and uses of the funding.

In order to eliminate such scandals, which are really only the tip of the iceberg, the Diet is called upon to make a thorough inquiry into the corruption and collusion in this case.

- Akahata, October 23, 2009