May 26, 2021
Akahata editorial (excerpts)
Satellite broadcaster Tohokushinsha Film Corp., where Prime Minister Suga's eldest son is employed, released a report on May 24 regarding its repeated wining and dining of communication ministry officials.
According to the report, Tohokushinsha's former executive officer and board director wined and dined ministry officials 54 times between November 2015 and December 2020. Of the 54, PM Suga's son Seigo was present at 22 dinners.
In 2017, Tohokushinsha's BS4K broadcasting was found to be violating restrictions on foreign investment placed under the Broadcast Act. To clear up the state of violation, Tohokushinsha set up a subsidiary and this new company took over the BS business. Concurrently, according to the report, Tohokushinsha executives entertained communication ministry's satellite broadcasting and regional broadcasting officials and sometimes gave them tickets for professional baseball games.
The National Public Service Ethics Code prohibits public employees from being wined and dined at the expense of parties concerned and obliges public employees to notify authorities of their eating and drinking in advance if the expense is more than 10,000 yen per person no matter whether they pay their own share of the bills.
The Broadcast Act stipulates that the communication ministry shall rescind a satellite broadcasting license if the broadcaster's foreign capital ratio exceeds 20%. Why is it that the ministry did not revoke Tohokushinsha's license and approved the business succession to the Tohokushinsha subsidiary?
If the ministry officials granted favors in return for frequent dining and wining by Tohokushinsha officials, they not only violated the National Public Service Ethics Code but also accepted bribery.
The probe into the scandal should not be left solely to the ministry. The Diet should uncover the whole truth behind the alleged bribery scandal to stamp out the roots of political corruption.
Past related article:
> JCP Yamazoe questions presidents of Tohokushinsha and NTT in regard to wining-and dining scandals [March 16, 2021]
