Funds from Hatoyama's mother likely a source of false donation reports+

TOKYO, Nov. 25 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama received a total of 900 million yen from his
mother over five years to 2008 and some of the money may have been recorded
under fictitious donors in his political funds reports, sources familiar with
the matter said Wednesday.
His former secretary, who was in charge of accounting Hatoyama's political
funds before being dismissed in June after the scandal came to light, is
believed to have offered a similar account to prosecutors during questioning on
a voluntary basis.
The funds -- a sum of roughly 180 million yen given annually over the five
years -- were treated as private loans from Hatoyama's 87-year-old mother
Yasuko, according to the sources, as he would have had to pay high gift taxes
had they been given to him.
If the money was donated to his Yuai Seikei Konwa-kai political fund management
body, it would have violated the Political Funds Control Law, which limits
donations to a politician to 1.5 million yen per person per annum.
''I'm wondering what was going on without me knowing about it and I'm very
surprised by it all,'' Hatoyama told reporters on Wednesday. ''I strongly hope
that the district public prosecutors' investigation will make headway and
reveal the truth.''
Separately, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said Hatoyama may speak to
the nation about the case after the official probe is concluded.
''I believe that he will provide an explanation to the people when there is
closure,'' Hirano told a news conference.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is examining the sources of more
than 300 million yen that it believes was falsely declared in Hatoyama's
political funds reports as it considers indicting the former state-paid
secretary without arrest over the false statements.
The eldest daughter of Bridgestone Corp. founder Shojiro Ishibashi, Yasuko
Hatoyama is a major shareholder of the leading Japanese tire maker. Her assets
are managed by Rokko-shokai, the family's exclusive asset management firm, in
Tokyo's Minato Ward.
When he was grilled over the scandal in parliament recently, Hatoyama denied
having received such a large amount of money from his mother, saying, ''There
was no such thing as far as I know,'' while admitting that the former aide had
withdrawn about 50 million yen a year over the past six years from his account
at Rokko-shokai.
According to Hatoyama's political funds reports, his mother donated 1.5 million
yen every year from 2004 to 2008 to his fund management body.
The former secretary withdrew cash from Rokko-shokai as well as Hatoyama's
account there with written directives issued by Hatoyama when his political
funds ran short, according to the sources and prosecutors.
The prosecutors believe false statements were made in Hatoyama's funds reports
in relation to at least 21.77 million yen reportedly donated by around 90
individuals over four years to 2008, most of the roughly 180 million yen from
''anonymous'' donors over five years to 2008 and revenues of more than 100
million yen from his fundraising parties during the same period.
Hatoyama on June 30 admitted to and apologized for the former aide's false
reporting of the 21.77 million yen as donations using the names of people
already deceased and others, and said he had corrected the funds reports
concerned.
Hirano told a press conference Wednesday that he believes Hatoyama should not
step down over the scandal, saying, ''His biggest mission as prime minister is
to bring the way Japan works into line with people's expectations.''
''As for the issue of political funds, the prime minister has apologized to the
people and straightened the problem out himself and he has repeatedly said in
the Diet that it is his responsibility as prime minister to meet people's
expectations...and I agree with that,'' Hirano said, when asked about
Hatoyama's political responsibility.
==Kyodo
2009-11-25 22:56:11