January 27, 30, 2012
Akahata on January 26 learned that corporations, where former top bureaucrats from the defense and construction ministries were offered posts upon retirement, received public contracts for environmental impact assessments on the controversial construction of a new U.S. base in the Henoko district of Nago City in Okinawa.
The EIAs, therefore, may have been compiled to serve the convenience of pro-base forces. If so, the assessments will totally lose their objectivity and credibility, Akahata asserts.
The entities given the EIA-related contracts were “IDEA Consultants, Inc., Okinawa Branch” in Naha City and “Okinawa Environmental Preservation Institute Co., Ltd.” in Uruma City.
For these two firms alone, the contracts related to the planned construction of a new base amounted to about 3.4 billion yen.
A retired official of the Defense Ministry obtained his post-retirement position as an advisor to the “IDEA” head office. This company also has a number of retired officials of the land and infrastructure ministry in positions on the board of directors. In the other firm, the former chief of the Kin Defense Office of the Okinawa Defense Bureau is a planning advisor.
* * *
Two more companies found involved
Akahata on January 28 obtained information that two more companies which gave executive positions to retired Defense officials have been involved in environmental impact assessments on the planned construction of a new U.S. base at the Henoko district of Nago City in Okinawa, in addition to those reported by Akahta on January 27.
The two firms that hired retired Defense Ministry officials are: Ocean Consultant, Japan Co., Ltd. and Nippon Koei Co., Ltd., both Tokyo-based firms.
A Defense Ministry document shows that an ex-procurement director of the Kita Kanto Defense Bureau who retired in 2009 took up an office as a full-time consultant at Ocean Consultant, Ltd. An ex-manager of the management department of the same bureau, who also retired in 2009, was hired by Nippon Koei as a part-time executive.
According to another document publicized by the Okinawa Defense Bureau, the two firms obtained four contracts for EIAs, amounting to 21.5 million yen.
The EIAs, therefore, may have been compiled to serve the convenience of pro-base forces. If so, the assessments will totally lose their objectivity and credibility, Akahata asserts.
The entities given the EIA-related contracts were “IDEA Consultants, Inc., Okinawa Branch” in Naha City and “Okinawa Environmental Preservation Institute Co., Ltd.” in Uruma City.
For these two firms alone, the contracts related to the planned construction of a new base amounted to about 3.4 billion yen.
A retired official of the Defense Ministry obtained his post-retirement position as an advisor to the “IDEA” head office. This company also has a number of retired officials of the land and infrastructure ministry in positions on the board of directors. In the other firm, the former chief of the Kin Defense Office of the Okinawa Defense Bureau is a planning advisor.
* * *
Two more companies found involved
Akahata on January 28 obtained information that two more companies which gave executive positions to retired Defense officials have been involved in environmental impact assessments on the planned construction of a new U.S. base at the Henoko district of Nago City in Okinawa, in addition to those reported by Akahta on January 27.
The two firms that hired retired Defense Ministry officials are: Ocean Consultant, Japan Co., Ltd. and Nippon Koei Co., Ltd., both Tokyo-based firms.
A Defense Ministry document shows that an ex-procurement director of the Kita Kanto Defense Bureau who retired in 2009 took up an office as a full-time consultant at Ocean Consultant, Ltd. An ex-manager of the management department of the same bureau, who also retired in 2009, was hired by Nippon Koei as a part-time executive.
According to another document publicized by the Okinawa Defense Bureau, the two firms obtained four contracts for EIAs, amounting to 21.5 million yen.
