Japan Press Weekly

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2013 October 16 - 22 [POLITICS]

Abe admits Akahata’s scoop on political donations is factual

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo on October 21 admitted to the fact, as reported in Akahata’s scoop, that the Liberal Democratic Party had asked the construction industry for political donations.

He made the remark at a House of Representatives budget committee meeting in response to Democratic Party of Japan member Nagatsuma Akira, who cited an article of Akahata’s Sunday edition on July 7 reporting that the LDP had requested 471 million yen in donations from the construction industry. “I believe this is a scoop by Akahata,” said Nagatsuma.

Abe stated, “JCP Chair Shii presented related documents at a party heads debate during the House of Councilors election, and I recognize that what they reported had actually happened.” He, however, went on to say that the scandal “has been appropriately dealt with in accordance with the Political Funds Control Law.”

The documents scooped by Akahata were letters the LDP sent to the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors, in which the ruling party requested 471 million yen in donations from JFCC member companies in exchange for implementation of large public works projects amounting to 200 trillion yen over a period of ten years.

Past related article:
> LDP uses ‘Abenomics’ to tap construction companies for political donations (July 4, 2013)