 JCP reveals new evidence of illegal donations to LDP members Showing new evidence suggesting the possibility of an illegal fund flow from the Japan Dental Association via the National Political Association, the fund-raising organization for the Liberal Democratic Party and the LDP headquarters, to some LDP politicians, Japanese Communist Party Dietmember Sasaki Kensho demanded that the government thoroughly investigate the bribery scandal. Funneling money through such a conduit is aimed at concealing the identify of fund donors. Sasaki took up the illegal donations at the House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on October 19. Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro, who once stated that the LDP investigation had found no such flows of funds, had to promise to carry out further investigation. Sasaki referred to the money funneled to an LDP branch headed by former Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Ishihara Nobuteru, revealing that 10 million yen was given four times to the branch between July 2000 and May 2002. He also revealed that the money was funneled from the Japan Dental Association through the National Political Association and the LDP headquarters to the branch Of the four money flows, the receipt for the first 10 million yen issued by the National Political Association on July 11, 2000 had a scrawl that could be read as "Ishihara Nobuteru". In addition, the handwriting on a 5 million yen receipt dated June 29, 2001 can clearly be read as "Koga". ("Koga" could be identified as former LDP Secretary General Koga Makoto.) These names may have been written by the Japan Dental Association, Sasaki stated. Pointing to the serial number put on the receipts which the dental association got from the LDP fund-raising organization, Sasaki stated that each number identifies specific LDP politicians. A total of 33 numbers are put on 28 out of the 50 receipts he got in hand, he said, and he urged the government to specify them all. The receipts the JCP obtained based on the Free Access to Information Law had been submitted to the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications. * * * JCP Sasaki on the same day demanded that the Budget Committee summon eight politicians of the former LDP Hashimoto faction, including former Prime Minister Hashimoto Ryutaro, House of Councilors President Aoki Mikio, and former LDP secretary general Nonaka Hiromu, who may have been involved in receiving the 100 million yen in illegal donations from the Japan Dental Association. (end) |