Ozawa’s 3 aides indicted

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Ozawa’s 3 aides indicted

Tokyo prosecutors on February 4 indicted three aides of Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ozawa Ichiro for violating the Political Funds Control Law with the use of the alleged 400 million yen of funds for land purchase by Rikuzankai, Ozawa’s political fund-managing organization, while dropping the case against Ozawa himself.

The indicted are DPJ House of Representatives Ishikawa Tomohiro, former chief accountant and Ozawa’s main secretary Okubo Takanori, and former secretary Ikeda Mitsutomo.

Ozawa’s responsibility should be called into question: Shii

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on the same day published the following comment on this development:

Ozawa’s three aides were indicted. Of them, Ishikawa admits to the charge presented in the indictment that he falsified a political funds report. Ozawa himself should be held responsible for this criminal act.

It is reported that the Ozawa office has used its decisive influence on the selection of winners in bids for public works projects in the Tohoku region. Receiving political donations from general contractor construction companies that include Mizutani Construction, the Ozawa office has been suspected of making money from the public works projects which are funded by taxpayer money.

Judicial authorities consider cases based on the evidence and relevant laws. However, they fell short of charging Ozawa. To pursue a criminal charge is a responsibility of judicial professionals and prosecutors. To reveal the whole truth, including pursuing Ozawa’s political and moral responsibility, is what the Diet must do. The Diet should not consider the case closed and should pursue Ozawa’s political and moral responsibility in this matter in order to uncover the facts behind the allegation.

The need is for the Diet to summon Ozawa and his three aides and conduct intensive deliberations on the case.

Diet must examine Ozawa’s political responsibility: Koike

Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Koike Akira on February 3 said, “Regardless of what the prosecutors may decide, the Diet must examine Ozawa’s political and moral responsibility and inquire into the truth of the issue. The case must not be closed with a judicial conclusion.”

Koike criticized Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio for repeating that he will calmly wait and see what develops in the prosecutors’ investigation. Koide said the Diet must meet the demand of the public for a full disclosure of the facts behind the allegation.

-Akahata, February 4 & 5, 2010