Ruling parties defend corrupt politician

The ruling parties and Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro have taken a mob-linked ruling New Conservative Party (NCP) politician under their wing since his dirty ties with an organized crime group came to light.

The ruling New Conservative Party (NCP) on April 21 decided to allow NCP House of Representatives Dietmember Matsunami Kenshiro to speak at an open session of the Lower House Council on Political Ethics.

Matsunami allegedly received money from a gang-related firm and then inquired about a police investigation of a wanted gangster at the firm's request.

The Liberal Democratic and the Komei parties endorsed the NCP decision, and Prime Minister Koizumi said he would listen to Matsunami's side of the story at a session of the ethics council.

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on the same day criticized the ruling parties' posture for dodging to take any responsibility of the cozy ties between the ruling politician and the organized crime syndicate.

Ichida demanded that Matsunami be summoned to testify before the Diet and step down as Dietmember. (end)