Fukuda’s LDP branch received donations from companies awarded contracts for public works projects

   It was revealed that shortly before the announcement of House of Representatives elections in 2003 and 2005, a Liberal Democratic Party branch in Gunma Prefecture headed by Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo received a total of 10 million yen in donations from a local construction company and its affiliates that were awarded contracts for public works projects.

   Those donations are suspected of violating the Public Offices Election Law which prohibits corporations awarded state contracts from making donations in relation to national elections.

   Akahata has learned that Fujita Noboru, treasurer of the LDP branch, is the de facto owner of the construction company, Fujita Engineering. The company and its affiliate, Fujita Techno, won contracts from the Agriculture Ministry.

   Fujita Engineering gave the LDP branch donations of 500,000 yen in 2004 and again in 2006 when no House of Representatives election was held. In 2003 and 2005, however, it made donations of two million yen each. Fujita Techno also donated two million yen in 2003 and again in 2005.

   In the House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on October 10, Prime Minister Fukuda stated, “I didn’t know that the company was engaged in state public works projects. It was my great mistake.”

   It was already revealed that Fukuda’s LDP branch also received a total of 2.2 million yen from other companies that were awarded public works projects.

- Akahata, October 11, 2007