ID :
52101
Tue, 03/24/2009 - 20:52
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/52101
The shortlink copeid
DPJ President Ozawa to stay on despite indictment of secretary+
TOKYO, March 24 Kyodo - Ichiro Ozawa, president of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, said Tuesday he will remain in his post after prosecutors indicted his secretary earlier in the day over a fundraising scandal.
''I have a renewed resolve to live up to everyone's expectations,'' Ozawa said
at a press conference at which he announced his decision to continue as DPJ
leader. ''I've been saying that there is no evidence that I committed a crime
and the (indictment) proved what I've been claiming is true.''
Earlier, Ozawa had told his party colleagues of his decision during a meeting
of senior DPJ officials to discuss his future, which was held hours after the
Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office indicted his secretary for violating
the political funds control law, the lawmaker said.
Takanori Okubo, 47, allegedly received illegal donations from general
contractor Nishimatsu Construction Co. as an accountant of Ozawa's political
fund management body.
He was arrested March 3 on suspicion of receiving the donations from Nishimatsu
from 2003 to 2006 and falsely reporting them as donations from what are
believed to be Nishimatsu dummy entities. The political funds control law
prohibits business corporations from making donations to private organizations
of individual lawmakers.
Okubo, who has been detained since his arrest, is thought to be denying the
charge.
Ozawa has said he would carefully consider the effects the case may have on the
next House of Representatives election in which the DPJ hopes to wrest power
from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
His decision to remain in his post came also after public prosecutors
reportedly decided not to question Ozawa himself in connection with the
Nishimatsu scandal.
There was growing sentiment within the DPJ that Ozawa would not need to step
down even if Okubo was indicted on the charge for which he was arrested and the
DPJ's upper house executives on Tuesday reaffirmed the view, DPJ lawmakers
said.
Some DPJ lawmakers had been seeking Ozawa's voluntary resignation from the post
he has held since April 2006. Katsuhiko Yokomitsu said at a party meeting
earlier Tuesday, ''The people's expectations of the DPJ are vanishing. It will
benefit the party as well as the people to face the next lower house election
with a newborn DPJ.''
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura expressed the view at a news
conference that politicians have the responsibility to supervise the management
of political funds.
''When we politicians accept funds, we have to receive them in accordance with
the political funds control law. There must not be dishonesty...(politicians)
accused of such violations must assume responsibility for managing and
supervising (political funds),'' the top government spokesman said.
==Kyodo
2009-03-24 22:25:50
''I have a renewed resolve to live up to everyone's expectations,'' Ozawa said
at a press conference at which he announced his decision to continue as DPJ
leader. ''I've been saying that there is no evidence that I committed a crime
and the (indictment) proved what I've been claiming is true.''
Earlier, Ozawa had told his party colleagues of his decision during a meeting
of senior DPJ officials to discuss his future, which was held hours after the
Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office indicted his secretary for violating
the political funds control law, the lawmaker said.
Takanori Okubo, 47, allegedly received illegal donations from general
contractor Nishimatsu Construction Co. as an accountant of Ozawa's political
fund management body.
He was arrested March 3 on suspicion of receiving the donations from Nishimatsu
from 2003 to 2006 and falsely reporting them as donations from what are
believed to be Nishimatsu dummy entities. The political funds control law
prohibits business corporations from making donations to private organizations
of individual lawmakers.
Okubo, who has been detained since his arrest, is thought to be denying the
charge.
Ozawa has said he would carefully consider the effects the case may have on the
next House of Representatives election in which the DPJ hopes to wrest power
from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
His decision to remain in his post came also after public prosecutors
reportedly decided not to question Ozawa himself in connection with the
Nishimatsu scandal.
There was growing sentiment within the DPJ that Ozawa would not need to step
down even if Okubo was indicted on the charge for which he was arrested and the
DPJ's upper house executives on Tuesday reaffirmed the view, DPJ lawmakers
said.
Some DPJ lawmakers had been seeking Ozawa's voluntary resignation from the post
he has held since April 2006. Katsuhiko Yokomitsu said at a party meeting
earlier Tuesday, ''The people's expectations of the DPJ are vanishing. It will
benefit the party as well as the people to face the next lower house election
with a newborn DPJ.''
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura expressed the view at a news
conference that politicians have the responsibility to supervise the management
of political funds.
''When we politicians accept funds, we have to receive them in accordance with
the political funds control law. There must not be dishonesty...(politicians)
accused of such violations must assume responsibility for managing and
supervising (political funds),'' the top government spokesman said.
==Kyodo
2009-03-24 22:25:50
