No explanation about his alleged fabrication of political funds report: prime minister’s policy speech

Japan Press Weekly

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No explanation about his alleged fabrication of political funds report: prime minister’s policy speech

Regarding the “politics and money” issue in his policy speech delivered to the Diet on October 26, Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio stated that each politician should maintain transparency. However, about his own allegation he only said, “I will cooperate fully in the ongoing investigation.”

The prime minister has admitted that his fund-managing organization had used the names of deceased individuals as donators of about 21.8 million yen in its political funds report.

Furthermore, the fund-managing body allegedly listed Hatoyama’s assets as donations it received from 2004 to 2008.

The Political Funds Control Law requires politicians to disclose the inflow and outflow of political funds in order to ascertain that political activities are legal. It imposes a penalty of imprisonment (five years or less) or fine (1 million yen or less) on those who fabricated information in political funds reports.

Without giving any explanation about his own allegation regarding illegal reporting of funds received, how can he as the prime minister “restore the people’s trust” as he stated in his policy speech?

Meanwhile, the prime minister did not utter a single world about a ban on corporate and organizational donations within three years which the DPJ calls for in its “manifesto” (policy platform).

- Akahata, October 27, 2009