Opposition parties demand Ozawa’s sworn testimony

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Opposition parties demand Ozawa’s sworn testimony

Six opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, will demand the summoning of former Democratic Party Secretary General Ozawa Ichiro, who will soon be indicted over alleged falsification of a funds report, as a sworn witness before the Diet to testify.

At a meeting of seven opposition parties’ Diet affairs chairpersons on October 5, all the parties, except for the Social Democratic Party, agreed to demand that Ozawa appear at the Diet to testify in regard to the charges being brought against him.

JCP Diet Policy Commission Chair Kokuta Keiji stressed the need to summon Ozawa under oath so that he cannot get away with making false statements.

Kokuta stated, “He is also suspected of using tax revenues to purchase land for 400 million yen through off-the-book donations from general construction contractors. What’s more, he has reportedly received political donations in return for awarding public works contracts to construction companies in his constituency in the Tohoku district. He is the kind of politician whose name is associated with ‘money-for-politics’ scandals.”

Kokuta also stated, “The Diet should play a role in revealing the whole truth and determining Ozawa’s political and ethical responsibility. In this sense, the DPJ as a whole is seriously involved and how the party will respond to the summoning of Ozawa is a question yet to be answered.”

- Akahata, October 6, 2010