February 12, 2010

Amid the money scandal concerning his fund managing body’s land purchase, Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ozawa Ichiro consented to the request made by Ishikawa Tomohiro, his former aide and DPJ lawmaker, who has been indicted for alleged involvement in a false report about funds for a land purchase of the Ozawa’s fund managing organization to terminate his membership in the party. It is unacceptable to put an end to the Ozawa’s scandal in such a farcical manner.

When Ozawa received Ishikawa’s resignation, he stated that Ishikawa was accused of a clerical mistake, not failure in political responsibility. But the fact is that Ishikawa was indicted on suspicion of putting in 2.1 billion yen of false information in a political funds report in violation of the Political Fund Control Law. This is unprecedented and a serious crime because he deliberately trampled on the law aiming to put political funds under people’s surveillance and betrayed the voter’s trust.

Although the DPJ repeatedly claimed that Ishikawa’s action was just a clerical mistake, people never accept that assertion.

Ishikawa in his explanation about his departure from the party said that he wanted to avoid causing the DPJ trouble in the Diet by not providing any information about the allegation against him. Ishikawa, however, showed no intention to resign as a Diet member by saying, “I want to fulfill my responsibility as a lawmaker.” However, in light of the severity of the allegation against him, he is no longer qualified to be a Diet member. The only duty he has to carry out is to provide all information about his role regarding the allegation and as a sworn witness in the Diet.

If the DPJ intends to put the case behind with Ishikawa’s departure from the party, its irresponsibility will be called into question.
- Akahata, February 12, 2010