Extent of corruption needs to be revealed -- Akahata editorial, July 6 (excerpts)

Three employees of Mitsui & Co., Japan's biggest trading firm, and two Foreign Ministry bureaucrats were arrested in connection with the allegations of bribery involving Dietmember Suzuki Muneo, who has been arrested.

In this new development, they were suspected of manipulating a public bid for the construction of a diesel power plant on the Russian-held Kunashiri Island, a government-funded Four Northern Islands assistance project. Mitsui made a successful bid by obtaining in advance the price information from Foreign Ministry officials and negotiated with competing firms into their bowing out of the bid.

Extraordinary bid outcome

Mitsui & Co. made successful bids on all diesel power plants on Kunashiri, Etorofu, and Shikotan Islands, bidding at 99.91 percent, 99.56 percent, and 95.19 percent of benchmark prices respectively. These bid results are extraordinary and therefore all facts and the responsibility of those concerned should be established.

A preparatory report by a consulting company stated that there was no need for such a plant on Kunashiri. Several months later, the decision was reversed to having it constructed. There is suspicion that this change was arranged by Suzuki, working behind the scenes with Russian negotiators into promoting the diesel plant. It is absolutely necessary to investigate into the involvement by Suzuki and high Foreign Ministry officials.

Mitsui & Co. is a world-known trading firm of Japan and has a hand in many overseas projects commissioned by the Foreign Ministry. The firm has close ties with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and donates enormous sums of money to it every year.

As the incident has evolved to a new stage, it is necessary to reveal all the facts and establish political as well as criminal responsibility.

Ruling parties must drop hush-up tactics

Special emphasis should be given to the responsibility of parliament and the ruling coalition parties including the LDP and the Komei Party in investigating into the suspicion.

To prevent similar incidents from taking place, we demand that effective measures for prevention be achieved as priority tasks, including revision of the law on intercession for gain and a ban on donations from corporations receiving orders for public works projects. (end)