Citizens panel concludes that Ozawa be indicted

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Citizens panel concludes that Ozawa be indicted

A citizen’s inquest panel on April 27 overturned the prosecutor’s office decision not to indict Ozawa Ichiro, Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General.

Earlier this year, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office had decided not to indict Ozawa for the alleged violation of the Political Funds Control Law in connection with the land purchase of his political fund-managing organization.

Because the independent judicial panel, which is composed of eleven randomly selected citizens, reversed the prosecutor’s decision, the prosecutor’s office has to reinvestigate and again make a decision on whether to indict. If the prosecutors again decide not to indict Ozawa and another inquest panel again overturns the prosecutor’s decision, court-appointed lawyers will have the authority to indict Ozawa in place of prosecutors and will bring the case before the court.

The panel blamed Ozawa for avoiding responsibility, “It is ridiculous that Ozawa is attempting to evade his responsibility by claiming that he leaves everything to his secretaries. Since corruption scandals involving politicians increase people’s distrust of politics, Ozawa’s attitude is unacceptable. By indicting Ozawa, the prosecutors should reveal all the facts before the public and clarify Ozawa’s responsibility.”

Later on the same day at a news conference, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi commented, “The prosecutor’s early decision did not satisfy the public. The citizen’s inquest panel’s decision reflects public morals and is as expected. (The prosecutors) must re-open the case and initiate a thorough investigation into the Ozawa related-scandal.”

Ichida again demanded that the Diet summon Ozawa to testify as a witness on the grounds that he is suspected of being involved in yet another money scandal concerning public works projects to which tax payers’ money is being used and that the Diet is responsible for disclosing full information about this case and making clear Ozawa’s political and moral responsibility.

- Akahata, April 28, 2010