December 20, 2013
Using its stronger presence in the assembly it obtained in the last election, the Japanese Communist Party in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly has made a significant contribution to bringing to light the allegation that Governor Inose Naoki accepted an illegal political donation while running for governor.
Before announcing his resignation at a press conference on December 19, Inose indicated his intention to resign to the vice governor and other senior officials late in the night of December 18. It was the day when the metropolitan assembly decided, as proposed by the JCP, to set up a special committee to investigate his acceptance of 50 million yen from hospital operator Tokushukai.
A senior official said, “I didn’t think the governor would resign so readily. He seemed to seriously take heed of the assembly’s decision to initiate an investigation committee.”
“Accusations by the JCP and its proposal for the committee were the decisive blow to the governor,” said a metropolitan government worker.
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in June, the JCP increased its seats from 8 to 17 and became the third largest party in the assembly. Using the double amount of time to speak allocated to the JCP in accordance with its doubling of seats, the party’s assembly members continued to question Inose regarding his responsibility over the alleged political donation.
At a plenary session, the JCP’s newly-elected lawmaker Shiraishi Tamio, 31, revealed the following facts: Last year Inose, who was the vice governor at that time, urged Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) to sell its hospital in Tokyo, and Tokushukai joined a competitive bid for the hospital site. Inose received the money from Tokushukai a month after TEPCO announced the intent to sell.
JCP metropolitan assembly members’ group Secretary General Oyama Tomoko commented that although it is a matter of course for the governor to resign in face of the mounting public criticism and the accusations being made in the assembly, he should be taken to task for still trying to hide the truth.
The JCP is continuing to call for an investigation committee to be formed and works hard to fully uncover the facts behind the money scandal, said Oyama.
Past related article:
> Tokyo JCP calls for committee to look into governor’s scandal (November 27, 2013)
Before announcing his resignation at a press conference on December 19, Inose indicated his intention to resign to the vice governor and other senior officials late in the night of December 18. It was the day when the metropolitan assembly decided, as proposed by the JCP, to set up a special committee to investigate his acceptance of 50 million yen from hospital operator Tokushukai.
A senior official said, “I didn’t think the governor would resign so readily. He seemed to seriously take heed of the assembly’s decision to initiate an investigation committee.”
“Accusations by the JCP and its proposal for the committee were the decisive blow to the governor,” said a metropolitan government worker.
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in June, the JCP increased its seats from 8 to 17 and became the third largest party in the assembly. Using the double amount of time to speak allocated to the JCP in accordance with its doubling of seats, the party’s assembly members continued to question Inose regarding his responsibility over the alleged political donation.
At a plenary session, the JCP’s newly-elected lawmaker Shiraishi Tamio, 31, revealed the following facts: Last year Inose, who was the vice governor at that time, urged Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) to sell its hospital in Tokyo, and Tokushukai joined a competitive bid for the hospital site. Inose received the money from Tokushukai a month after TEPCO announced the intent to sell.
JCP metropolitan assembly members’ group Secretary General Oyama Tomoko commented that although it is a matter of course for the governor to resign in face of the mounting public criticism and the accusations being made in the assembly, he should be taken to task for still trying to hide the truth.
The JCP is continuing to call for an investigation committee to be formed and works hard to fully uncover the facts behind the money scandal, said Oyama.
Past related article:
> Tokyo JCP calls for committee to look into governor’s scandal (November 27, 2013)
