Hatoyama apologizes for false fund donation statements+

TOKYO, June 30 Kyodo -
Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Hatoyama admitted Tuesday that his
political fund management body made false statements in its fund reports using
the names of deceased people, and offered a public apology.
''I deeply regret that such a thing has happened,'' he said at a news
conference, while denying that he has any intention of standing down as leader
of the main opposition party.
Hatoyama said the incident may have some effect on the upcoming general
election, which is widely expected to take place on a Sunday in August, but
added he will try hard to keep the impact to a minimum.
According to Hatoyama, the amount of misstated funds totaled around 22 million
yen over four years from 2005 but the figure involves no illegal donations.
His management body is said to have reported in its financial statements
contributions by individuals who are already dead or those who claimed they had
never donated to the body.
Hatoyama said he has already dismissed his government-paid secretary who was in
charge of accounting for the management body and revised the political funds
report, and that he plans to take ''appropriate action'' against a secretary in
charge of policy.
The issue has come to light at a time when the DPJ is trying to shift the focus
of its fundraising scheme to individual donations, following a corporate
political fund scandal that emerged in March and led its former leader Ichiro
Ozawa to resign.
==Kyodo