Loopholes used for information selling business on bids for public works projects

A privately-employed secretary to a Dietmember is not barred by law from engaging in "business" of selling information he or she obtained from local government heads to companies on bids for public works projects.

Ozaki Mitsuo, former private secretary to Kano Michihiko, Democratic Party of Japan vice president, was arrested on January 15 on suspicion of obstructing bids for public works projects by leaking the bidding information to a bidder.

Sato Saburo, a privately employed secretary to Kato Koichi, former Liberal Democratic Party secretary general, was questioned by the taxation office about the suspicion that he received money from construction companies in connection with bids for public works projects.

A general contractor construction company official, who was asked by Ozaki to pass bidding information, said, "I understood that some Dietmembers' secretaries were secretly selling information on bidding for public works projects. I was surprised that Ozaki did this openly as a business."

Akahata on January 17 said that loopholes that allow such a dishonest business should be eliminated.

A law was enacted in November 2000 to prohibit Dietmembers and their government-paid secretaries from receiving money for bid information about public works projects. Privately employed secretaries to Dietmembers are not bound by the law, which was approved by a majority of the Liberal Democratic, Komei, and Conservative parties.

Claiming that such a law won't work sufficiently, the Japanese Communist Party with other opposition parties submitted a counterproposal with stricter rules, but their efforts failed. (end)