Japan Press Weekly

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2008 August 27 - September 2 [POLITICS]

Another revelation of shady use of office expenses shows lack of honesty

Akahata editorial

Ota Seiichi, who took office as agriculture minister in the recent cabinet reshuffle, is faced with an allegation that his political funds report included false statements claiming that he spent a large amount of money for running the main office of his political group although no such office exists. The address of the office in the report was the house of his secretary.

False statements in political funds reports regarding expenses for running offices of politicians’ political groups or political fund-management organizations have been exposed one after another since 2006: Former Administrative Reform Minister Sata Gen’ichiro, now-deceased former Farm Minister Matsuoka Toshikatsu, and former Farm Minister Akagi Norihiko. The recent revelation will make it inevitable for the public to criticize the lack of self-cleansing ability.

The allegation is that Ota reported that an office of his political organization “The Group to Raise Representative Ota Seiichi” is located in the house of his secretary and that it spent about 10,450,000 yen in 2005 and about 13,000,000 yen in 2006 for office and personnel expenses. It is also revealed that he included nearly 25,000,000 yen in his political funds report as office expenses between 2000 and 2002. (He had been unseated in 2003-2004) The alleged inappropriate use of money amounts to about 50,000,000 yen for five years.

The alleged inappropriate use of political funds follows the method that has been used by a number of politicians who locate their political organizations or fund management organizations at relatives’ houses or Diet member’s office and report large amounts of office expenses, including rent and communication costs, as well as personnel costs and utilities. In Ota’s case, the secretary’s house had neither office space nor full-time employees. It is essential to verify the allegation regarding the use of the house as an office and the misuse of political funds.

Politicians and their political organizations are required to submit their financial reports to maintain the transparency of their political funds and to “carry out their activities under the people’s constant monitoring and criticism (Political Funds Control Law).” The alleged falsification of the report amounts to admitting that the person is not entitled to be a politician.

Asked to present receipts and accounting books, which could be used as evidence, Ota continues to be ambiguous saying, “I have instructed my office to get them in order by the end of this week.”

It is the responsibility of a Dietmember to respond to allegations as defined by the Dietmembers’ code of political ethics. Ota should be disqualified as minister if he refuses to reveal the facts.

Former cabinet ministers Sata and Akagi were compelled to resign, and Matsuoka committed suicide. The Liberal Democratic Party came under severe criticism and experienced a disastrous defeat in the 2007 House of Councilors election, leading to Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s resignation. Ota and the current cabinet led by Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo do not have a self-cleaning ability if they cannot respond to the allegation.

As the one who appointed Ota as Agriculture Minister, Prime Minister Fukuda has the responsibility to lead the investigation to establish the facts.