Agriculture minister’s additional corruption scandal exposed

   Agriculture Minister Akagi Norihiko, who has already been under fire for filing falsified political funds reports concerning office expenses for his political organizations, is rocked by another scandal over falsified political funds reports.

   It was revealed that Akagi’s supporters’ organization, which registered Akagi’s parents’ home as its office, and the Liberal Democratic Party Ibaraki Prefecture First Electoral District Branch, a separate organization headed by Akagi, had attached copies of a receipt to different 2003 political funds reports.

   Akagi’s supporters’ organization reported a total of 196,085 yen as expenses for shipping of its newspapers and magazines and the LDP branch reported the same amount of money as expenses for shipping its invitation letters.

   Akagi on July 27 told reporters, “The case in question was just a paperwork mistake. We have already submitted a notice of correction.”

   On the same day, however, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi issued a statement condemning Akagi, stating, “Corruption scandals involving the agriculture minister seem endless. His excuses such as ‘not intentional’ and ‘paperwork mistake’ are totally unacceptable. He must resign immediately.”

   “Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is also to blame for appointing such a person as a minister and for continuing to defend him in defiance of public criticism,” said Ichida.                                        - Akahata, July 30, 2007