Shii on Suzuki's arrest and next steps for parliament to take

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on June 19 arrested Dietmember Suzuki Muneo on charges of taking bribes for using his political influence. Prosecutors recognized the money, which Suzuki insisted as political donations from a lumber company, as a bribe.

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo at a news conference on the day gave the following statement on Suzuki's arrest and the steps for the Diet to take at the next stage to establish facts and responsibility.

Following parliamentary approval of the public prosecutors' request to arrest the Dietmember, Suzuki is now under arrest. Debate in the Diet and strong public opinion had the power to contain political corruption. This is an important step forward. However, the question must not be left entirely in the hands of judicial authorities. Parliament must not drop the question as something finished. I think the Diet must proceed to further step in which it establishes all the facts and determine responsibility, in parallel with rigorous investigations by the judicial authorities.

I think that the Suzuki question is a microcosm of what Liberal Democratic Party politics is all about.

Suzuki illegally used his political influence over public works projects, the assistance projects (for the Russian-held Four Northern Islands), and administrative discipline, and accepted donations in return for his influence. At issue is this entire mechanism of money for favor.

Suzuki has been arrested on a suspicion of taking bribes from the company Yamarin. The suspicion may look like a small matter, but its significance is great. Most of the 5 million yen donation to Suzuki was reported under the Political Funds Control Law. It is very important that public prosecutors recognized the "laundered money" as bribe money where there was petition and use of influence.

In the 1990s several Dietmembers were arrested for graft. They were arrested on criminal charges of accepting "underground" money or illegal loans which public prosecutors recognized as bribes. The case of Yamarin which led to Suzuki's arrest, was about money that was reported as political funds. Public prosecutors, however, recognized it as a bribe which constitutes a crime.

LDP politicians who came under such suspicions in the past used to try to escape charges by insisting that the money was in compliance with the political funds law and therefore is open and aboveboard. When Yamarin became an issue in the Diet in 1999, Suzuki Muneo, deputy chief cabinet secretary at the time, said that the money was no problem as had been reported. He went so far as to say that honesty does not pay because he was actually facing trouble just because he reported it.

Suzuki's arrest has shown that corporate donations can be considered as bribes. The JCP is calling for a total ban on corporate donations. As a first step, we demand that the bill proposed by the opposition parties to ban politicians from accepting donations from companies awarded with contracts for public works projects be considered as the most urgent matter and be enacted in the extended Diet session.

The so-called "Muneo money" was given to many LDP and Komei Party Dietmembers. At least 58 Dietmembers of these two parties received a total of 240 million yen in three years.

Prosecutors have found that Suzuki collected 300 million yen in secret donations in three years. If true, the "Muneo money" was made up of both official political donations and secret donations. And if this is true, politicians who are "Mune Mune Club" members and received the Muneo money should be blamed for going against political and moral responsibilities. Now that the matter is found to concern the whole of the LDP, a thorough investigation is necessary.

We have argued that Suzuki has distorted Japan-Russia territorial talks. Although it does not constitute a criminal offense, his political and moral responsibilities must be called into question. The matter is serious in that he harmed Japan's national interest. The Diet should continue to examine the case.

All the facts about the Suzuki scandal must be ascertained by the judicial authorities and the Diet. Even after Suzuki's arrest, the Diet can question him in custody and invite persons concerned as sworn or unsworn witnesses in the Diet. We will demand that an intensive discussion be held on this matter in the Diet, including in the Budget Committee. (end)