Osaka Prefectural panel calls on assembly members to return policy research funds of 340 million yen

   On June 15, the Osaka Prefectural Audit Committee acknowledged that a total of 340 million yen in policy research funds provided for Prefectural Assembly members in FY 2004 and FY 2005 were misused and recommended Governor Ota Fusae that she order Assembly members and their assembly groups to return the money.

   The audit, conducted in response to local residents’ requests, concluded that the Japanese Communist Party prefectural assembly members’ group properly conducted research activities and that they are not required to return the funds.

   The JCP Osaka Prefectural Committee on June 16 issued a statement on the audit, pointing out that responding to residents’ growing concern over the question of “politics and money,” the audit called on assembly members to make clear how the funds are used by attaching and publishing receipts as the JCP has demanded. “Overall, it is a positive step and lives up to residents’ expectations,” the statement said.

   The Osaka Prefectural government provides monthly policy research funds of 490,000 yen to each assembly member and 100,000 yen to each assembly group.

   The 340 million yen includes 22.5 million yen used by the Liberal Democratic Party members, 15.3 million yen by the Komei Party, and 12 million yen by the Democratic Party of Japan.

   They used the funds to travel to Hawai (LDP), South Korea (Komei), and Oita Prefecture (LDP) as well as to buy a big screen television and air cleaners (Komei). A LDP Assembly member was asked to return all the policy research funds totaling 11.7 million yen that he received in two years.

                 - Akahata, June 18, 2007