ID :
101200
Tue, 01/19/2010 - 22:40
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Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/101200
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Ozawa, prosecutors arranging questioning over fund scandal
TOKYO, Jan. 19 Kyodo -
Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa and prosecutors have
begun arranging a date for his voluntary questioning over allegations that his
fund management body failed to report money used to buy land in Tokyo in 2004,
sources closed to the case said Tuesday.
In a related development, the prosecutors have apparently confirmed that about
300 million yen was withdrawn about 10 years ago from Ozawa's account at a
trust bank, to which Ozawa says he had entrusted the money used for the land
purchase, the sources said.
The prosecutors are expected to ask Ozawa to elaborate on such unclear points
as how he had kept the 300 million yen until 2004, what he did with the
remaining 50 million yen or so needed to buy the land and how he can explain
the differences in accounts with his former secretary, who was arrested last
week.
While the prosecutors suspect the money used for the land deal included illegal
donations, Ozawa said at an annual DPJ convention Saturday that he used funds
he had personally accumulated and that he had told investigators the name of
the trust bank's branch to which he had entrusted them.
Ozawa's fund management body, called Rikuzankai, purchased land in Tokyo's
Setagaya Ward for about 352 million yen on Oct. 29, 2004. The money was not
properly registered in the body's 2004 fund report.
DPJ lawmaker Tomohiro Ishikawa, who was arrested Friday as one of Ozawa's
private secretaries at that time in charge of the land purchase, has told the
prosecutors that the money used to buy the land came from 400 million yen
borrowed from Ozawa, according to investigative sources.
Ishikawa's lawyer also said the resources for the land deal, stemming from
funds Ozawa inherited from his father, had been entrusted to a trust bank and
withdrawn about 10 years ago.
As part of their efforts to clarify the flow of funds in connection with the
deal, the prosecutors searched some medium-sized construction companies on
Tuesday including Yamazaki Construction Co. in Tokyo and Miyamotogumi Co. in
Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture.
The firms are involved in subcontracts for a project to build a dam in the
northeastern Japan city of Oshu in Ozawa's constituency in Iwate Prefecture,
the investigative sources said.
People linked to Mizutani Construction Co. have told the prosecutors that the
Kuwana, Mie Prefecture-based company handed 50 million yen to Ishikawa on Oct.
15, 2004, in a bid to obtain a subcontract for the dam project, according to
the investigative sources.
Ozawa, a powerful politician, is believed to have had a strong influence over
the selection of companies for public works projects in the region.
Prosecutors searched several offices, including Ozawa's, last Wednesday and
arrested Ishikawa and his successor as secretary on Friday, plus another
current aide to Ozawa on Saturday, for alleged accounting irregularities -- a
violation of the Political Funds Control Law -- over the land deal.
Ozawa, a political tactician widely seen as the real power in the DPJ, was
thought to have initially ignored the prosecutors' request since Jan. 5 for him
to submit to voluntary questioning, but has apparently changed his stance amid
growing public calls for him to resign due to his failure to fully account for
his role in the land deal.
Recent opinion polls by media organizations show about 70 percent of the public
want Ozawa to quit as DPJ secretary general or as a lawmaker over the fund
scandal.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Tuesday he hopes that the questioning of
Ozawa can take place as soon as possible, while reiterating that Ozawa himself
should decide whether to undergo such questioning.
''Since he believes he is innocent, I think it desirable for him to explain
things,'' Hatoyama told reporters at his office. ''I hope it (the questioning)
will be realized as soon as possible.''
At Saturday's party convention, Ozawa reiterated that no dubious money was
involved in the land purchase and, referring to the investigation by the
prosecutors, said he will ''fully confront such a use of power.''
==Kyodo
Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa and prosecutors have
begun arranging a date for his voluntary questioning over allegations that his
fund management body failed to report money used to buy land in Tokyo in 2004,
sources closed to the case said Tuesday.
In a related development, the prosecutors have apparently confirmed that about
300 million yen was withdrawn about 10 years ago from Ozawa's account at a
trust bank, to which Ozawa says he had entrusted the money used for the land
purchase, the sources said.
The prosecutors are expected to ask Ozawa to elaborate on such unclear points
as how he had kept the 300 million yen until 2004, what he did with the
remaining 50 million yen or so needed to buy the land and how he can explain
the differences in accounts with his former secretary, who was arrested last
week.
While the prosecutors suspect the money used for the land deal included illegal
donations, Ozawa said at an annual DPJ convention Saturday that he used funds
he had personally accumulated and that he had told investigators the name of
the trust bank's branch to which he had entrusted them.
Ozawa's fund management body, called Rikuzankai, purchased land in Tokyo's
Setagaya Ward for about 352 million yen on Oct. 29, 2004. The money was not
properly registered in the body's 2004 fund report.
DPJ lawmaker Tomohiro Ishikawa, who was arrested Friday as one of Ozawa's
private secretaries at that time in charge of the land purchase, has told the
prosecutors that the money used to buy the land came from 400 million yen
borrowed from Ozawa, according to investigative sources.
Ishikawa's lawyer also said the resources for the land deal, stemming from
funds Ozawa inherited from his father, had been entrusted to a trust bank and
withdrawn about 10 years ago.
As part of their efforts to clarify the flow of funds in connection with the
deal, the prosecutors searched some medium-sized construction companies on
Tuesday including Yamazaki Construction Co. in Tokyo and Miyamotogumi Co. in
Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture.
The firms are involved in subcontracts for a project to build a dam in the
northeastern Japan city of Oshu in Ozawa's constituency in Iwate Prefecture,
the investigative sources said.
People linked to Mizutani Construction Co. have told the prosecutors that the
Kuwana, Mie Prefecture-based company handed 50 million yen to Ishikawa on Oct.
15, 2004, in a bid to obtain a subcontract for the dam project, according to
the investigative sources.
Ozawa, a powerful politician, is believed to have had a strong influence over
the selection of companies for public works projects in the region.
Prosecutors searched several offices, including Ozawa's, last Wednesday and
arrested Ishikawa and his successor as secretary on Friday, plus another
current aide to Ozawa on Saturday, for alleged accounting irregularities -- a
violation of the Political Funds Control Law -- over the land deal.
Ozawa, a political tactician widely seen as the real power in the DPJ, was
thought to have initially ignored the prosecutors' request since Jan. 5 for him
to submit to voluntary questioning, but has apparently changed his stance amid
growing public calls for him to resign due to his failure to fully account for
his role in the land deal.
Recent opinion polls by media organizations show about 70 percent of the public
want Ozawa to quit as DPJ secretary general or as a lawmaker over the fund
scandal.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Tuesday he hopes that the questioning of
Ozawa can take place as soon as possible, while reiterating that Ozawa himself
should decide whether to undergo such questioning.
''Since he believes he is innocent, I think it desirable for him to explain
things,'' Hatoyama told reporters at his office. ''I hope it (the questioning)
will be realized as soon as possible.''
At Saturday's party convention, Ozawa reiterated that no dubious money was
involved in the land purchase and, referring to the investigation by the
prosecutors, said he will ''fully confront such a use of power.''
==Kyodo
