ID :
101309
Wed, 01/20/2010 - 11:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/101309
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DPJ Ozawa Ready to Be Questioned by Prosecutors over Land Deal
Tokyo, Jan. 19 (Jiji Press)--Democratic Party of Japan
Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa informed public prosecutors Tuesday of his readiness to be questioned on a voluntary basis over a money scandal concerning a land purchase by Rikuzankai, a fund management body of the ruling party heavyweight, sources said.
Ozawa conveyed the intention to the Tokyo District Public
Prosecutors Office through his lawyers and started coordinating his
schedule, the sources said.
The voluntary questioning is expected to take place later this week
at the earliest, the sources said.
The office hopes to secure at least four hours for the questioning
and sought the Ozawa side's understanding for the plan, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Ozawa intends to allow the office to question him only
once, according to the sources.
The prosecutors office is expected to seek Ozawa's explanations
about the 400 million yen Rikuzankai used to buy the land in Tokyo's
Setagaya Ward in October 2004 and the group's failure to book the funds in
its fund management report.
The prosecutors office on Jan. 5 sought to question Ozawa. He had
refused to accept the request because of his tight schedule.
But Ozawa changed stance apparently due to growing public criticism
following the arrests last week of three people, including DPJ lawmaker
Tomohiro Ishikawa, a former aide to Ozawa, for violation of the political
funds control law.
Ishikawa, a member of the House of Representatives, was in charge
of administrative matters at Rikuzankai when the land deal in question took
place. He allegedly failed to book the 400-million-yen funds in Rikuzankai's
fund report for 2004 in breach of the law.
At a DPJ convention on Saturday, Ozawa said that the 400 million
yen was his personal money deposited at his bank account.
The prosecutors office's investigations have found that about 300
million yen of the total amount was withdrawn around 1998, or about six
years before the land purchase. The office plans to ask Ozawa why he had
held the 300 million yen in cash during the six years and how Rikuzankai
procured the remaining 100 million yen as resources for the land
acquisition.
The office is also believed to have sought to question the wife of
Ozawa because loans of as much as 350 million yen were taken out under her
name in the year after the withdrawal of the 300 million yen, the sources
said.
The Ozawa side is expected to consider whether to accept the
prosecutors' request after the questioning of Ozawa himself. At present,
however, Ozawa appears reluctant to have his wife questioned by the
prosecutors office, the sources said.
Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa informed public prosecutors Tuesday of his readiness to be questioned on a voluntary basis over a money scandal concerning a land purchase by Rikuzankai, a fund management body of the ruling party heavyweight, sources said.
Ozawa conveyed the intention to the Tokyo District Public
Prosecutors Office through his lawyers and started coordinating his
schedule, the sources said.
The voluntary questioning is expected to take place later this week
at the earliest, the sources said.
The office hopes to secure at least four hours for the questioning
and sought the Ozawa side's understanding for the plan, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Ozawa intends to allow the office to question him only
once, according to the sources.
The prosecutors office is expected to seek Ozawa's explanations
about the 400 million yen Rikuzankai used to buy the land in Tokyo's
Setagaya Ward in October 2004 and the group's failure to book the funds in
its fund management report.
The prosecutors office on Jan. 5 sought to question Ozawa. He had
refused to accept the request because of his tight schedule.
But Ozawa changed stance apparently due to growing public criticism
following the arrests last week of three people, including DPJ lawmaker
Tomohiro Ishikawa, a former aide to Ozawa, for violation of the political
funds control law.
Ishikawa, a member of the House of Representatives, was in charge
of administrative matters at Rikuzankai when the land deal in question took
place. He allegedly failed to book the 400-million-yen funds in Rikuzankai's
fund report for 2004 in breach of the law.
At a DPJ convention on Saturday, Ozawa said that the 400 million
yen was his personal money deposited at his bank account.
The prosecutors office's investigations have found that about 300
million yen of the total amount was withdrawn around 1998, or about six
years before the land purchase. The office plans to ask Ozawa why he had
held the 300 million yen in cash during the six years and how Rikuzankai
procured the remaining 100 million yen as resources for the land
acquisition.
The office is also believed to have sought to question the wife of
Ozawa because loans of as much as 350 million yen were taken out under her
name in the year after the withdrawal of the 300 million yen, the sources
said.
The Ozawa side is expected to consider whether to accept the
prosecutors' request after the questioning of Ozawa himself. At present,
however, Ozawa appears reluctant to have his wife questioned by the
prosecutors office, the sources said.
