ID :
101864
Fri, 01/22/2010 - 22:35
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/101864
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Hatoyama says will not interfere with probe of arrested lawmaker
TOKYO, Jan. 22 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Friday he had no intention of interfering
with prosecutors investigating an arrested lawmaker when he told reporters the
previous day that he hopes the Democratic Party of Japan member will not be
indicted.
Despite the retraction, the rare expression of hope by a prime minister about
the handling of a criminal case has provoked apprehension and criticism from
within the government and ruling and opposition parties, with some accusing him
as attempting to alter the course of the investigation.
Tomohiro Ishikawa, a DPJ member in the House of Representatives and former aide
to party Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, was arrested last week over alleged
accounting irregularities involving Ozawa's funds management body.
''I said so with the hope that the investigation will prove (Ishikawa's)
innocence,'' Hatoyama told the lower house Budget Committee on Friday. ''I will
withdraw the remarks if they were misleading.''
Hatoyama was responding to Toshimitsu Motegi, a lawmaker from the main
opposition Liberal Democratic Party, who questioned if Hatoyama's remarks were
appropriate given that he heads the executive branch of government.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, which is investigating the case,
is a branch of the Justice Ministry.
On his own gaffes, Hatoyama told reporters later in the day that he will
refrain from making careless remarks. ''It comes down to not making remarks
that would cause misunderstanding as much as possible,'' he said.
Hatoyama made his first gaffe in connection with the funds scandal last
Saturday, when he said he urged Ozawa to ''go ahead and fight'' prosecutors
over the case. He later said he did not mean to put pressure on the
prosecutors.
On Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano urged Hatoyama to be more
careful about what he says, telling reporters, ''Remarks made when one is the
(DPJ) leader and when he is prime minister are weighty.''
''It's better to make remarks carefully because that way, he can avoid
misunderstanding,'' the top government spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Naoto Kan observed the episode in a more humorous
way, telling reporters, ''Because he is a prime minister who has been called a
space alien, the nuances of his words are slightly different from those of us
earthlings even if they are the same words.''
''I haven't taken this (episode) too seriously because I have spent a long time
with him,'' he added. ''I don't think that would lead to a grave situation at
all.''
But LDP Diet affairs chief Jiro Kawasaki lashed out at Hatoyama, saying that
there is a problem when the prime minister insists on his neutrality but at the
same time expresses hope that Ishikawa will not be charged.
Asked how he would respond if Ishikawa is indicted, Hatoyama told reporters on
Thursday, ''While there may not be much need to answer a question because it is
a hypothetical one of what if he were indicted, I hope he will not be
indicted.''
On the possibility of Ishikawa's resignation as a Diet member, Hatoyama said he
has yet to make a judgment on the matter, adding more light needs to shed on
his arrest.
Meanwhile, the prosecutors are scheduled to question Ozawa on a voluntary basis
Saturday in connection with the case.
Hatoyama told reporters he hopes Ozawa will tell investigators the facts and
show that he is innocent, ''which Secretary General Ozawa himself believes he
is.''
He avoided saying whether he would retain Ozawa in his present position after
the questioning, saying that he has not thought about what to do then.
Kan expressed a similar view, saying he too hopes that Ozawa will explain his
innocence to the prosecutors. He rejected the notion that the planned
prosecutorial move would adversely affect the government's job to get the
pending budgets to clear the Diet swiftly.
The prosecutors plan to question Ozawa on Saturday in connection with
Ishikawa's alleged failure to list 400 million yen used to purchase land in a
political funds report for Ozawa's funds management body.
==Kyodo
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Friday he had no intention of interfering
with prosecutors investigating an arrested lawmaker when he told reporters the
previous day that he hopes the Democratic Party of Japan member will not be
indicted.
Despite the retraction, the rare expression of hope by a prime minister about
the handling of a criminal case has provoked apprehension and criticism from
within the government and ruling and opposition parties, with some accusing him
as attempting to alter the course of the investigation.
Tomohiro Ishikawa, a DPJ member in the House of Representatives and former aide
to party Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, was arrested last week over alleged
accounting irregularities involving Ozawa's funds management body.
''I said so with the hope that the investigation will prove (Ishikawa's)
innocence,'' Hatoyama told the lower house Budget Committee on Friday. ''I will
withdraw the remarks if they were misleading.''
Hatoyama was responding to Toshimitsu Motegi, a lawmaker from the main
opposition Liberal Democratic Party, who questioned if Hatoyama's remarks were
appropriate given that he heads the executive branch of government.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, which is investigating the case,
is a branch of the Justice Ministry.
On his own gaffes, Hatoyama told reporters later in the day that he will
refrain from making careless remarks. ''It comes down to not making remarks
that would cause misunderstanding as much as possible,'' he said.
Hatoyama made his first gaffe in connection with the funds scandal last
Saturday, when he said he urged Ozawa to ''go ahead and fight'' prosecutors
over the case. He later said he did not mean to put pressure on the
prosecutors.
On Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano urged Hatoyama to be more
careful about what he says, telling reporters, ''Remarks made when one is the
(DPJ) leader and when he is prime minister are weighty.''
''It's better to make remarks carefully because that way, he can avoid
misunderstanding,'' the top government spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Naoto Kan observed the episode in a more humorous
way, telling reporters, ''Because he is a prime minister who has been called a
space alien, the nuances of his words are slightly different from those of us
earthlings even if they are the same words.''
''I haven't taken this (episode) too seriously because I have spent a long time
with him,'' he added. ''I don't think that would lead to a grave situation at
all.''
But LDP Diet affairs chief Jiro Kawasaki lashed out at Hatoyama, saying that
there is a problem when the prime minister insists on his neutrality but at the
same time expresses hope that Ishikawa will not be charged.
Asked how he would respond if Ishikawa is indicted, Hatoyama told reporters on
Thursday, ''While there may not be much need to answer a question because it is
a hypothetical one of what if he were indicted, I hope he will not be
indicted.''
On the possibility of Ishikawa's resignation as a Diet member, Hatoyama said he
has yet to make a judgment on the matter, adding more light needs to shed on
his arrest.
Meanwhile, the prosecutors are scheduled to question Ozawa on a voluntary basis
Saturday in connection with the case.
Hatoyama told reporters he hopes Ozawa will tell investigators the facts and
show that he is innocent, ''which Secretary General Ozawa himself believes he
is.''
He avoided saying whether he would retain Ozawa in his present position after
the questioning, saying that he has not thought about what to do then.
Kan expressed a similar view, saying he too hopes that Ozawa will explain his
innocence to the prosecutors. He rejected the notion that the planned
prosecutorial move would adversely affect the government's job to get the
pending budgets to clear the Diet swiftly.
The prosecutors plan to question Ozawa on Saturday in connection with
Ishikawa's alleged failure to list 400 million yen used to purchase land in a
political funds report for Ozawa's funds management body.
==Kyodo
