political donation

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LDP received 411 million yen in donations from companies suspected of bid-rigging

A cozy relationship between politicians, bureaucrats, and the business sector was again exposed in the revelation that the Liberal Democratic Party between 2002 and 2004 received about 411 million yen in donations from the companies suspected of rigging bids for Defense Facilities Administration Agency (DFAA) construction projects.

Akahata has found that 13 major general contractor construction firms and 3 air-conditioning project contractors had donated money to the LDP through its political fund management organization.

Shimizu Corporation, a company that was awarded a DFAA contract for the construction of a new Defense Agency (DA) headquarters, donated about 53 million yen. Ohbayashi Corporation, which was awarded a contract for land reclamation at the U.S. Iwakuni base, contributed about 40 million yen. Kajima Corporation, which won a contract for ground stabilization work at the U.S. Iwakuni base, donated about 44 million yen. Taisei Corporation, which successfully won a contract for the construction of a Self-Defense Agency hospital, gave the LDP about 47.5 million yen.

In addition, about 20 million yen in donations had been given in three years to 20 LDP politicians, including DA Chief Nukaga Fukushiro and former chief Kyuma Fumio, via LDP branches.

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On the grounds that it may affect the police investigation, the DFAA on February 7 stopped short of commenting on the news report in which a DFAA official in charge of construction works tried to destroy evidence by shedding "distribution charts" concerning works projects and contractors after the revelation of bid-rigging contracts for DFAA projects.
- Akahata, February 8, 2006