Apr 21 06:20 AM US/Eastern
TOKYO, April 21 (AP) - (Kyodo) — A day before one of his former aides faces a court decision over the alleged falsification of political funds reports, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Wednesday that he no longer has anything to do with him and refused to submit related documents to the Diet.
"I discharged former secretary (Keiji) Katsuba last June and haven't contacted him since then," the premier said during a Diet debate with Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of the opposition New Komeito party.
Hatoyama was referring to his former state-financed secretary who has admitted to charges of falsifying political funds reports for Hatoyama's fund management body and omitting donations from Hatoyama's mother and sister in violation of the Political Funds Control Law.
"It is a completely independent matter of one individual," Hatoyama said in a bid to deny any association with the former aide. "Please do ask him (about the case) in parliament if necessary. If there is anything I can help with, I will do so."
The embattled premier made the comments after Yamaguchi demanded that Hatoyama convince Katsuba to appear and give a full account of the funding scandal to parliament and that the premier provide to the Diet related documents that could help to clarify for what purposes the money provided by his mother has been used.
"I don't think it is necessary to submit the documents," Hatoyama said in their third Diet face-off of the current parliamentary session, noting that they had already been screened by prosecutors and that documents concerning the privacy of an individual have never been provided to parliament.
But Yamaguchi said that Hatoyama had promised during a session of the House of Councillors Budget Committee last month to explain the matter once the former secretary's case is closed and the documents are returned.
Hatoyama said at the session, "It is not that I am running away or handling the matter without consideration."
During the first court hearing late last month, prosecutors demanded a prison term of two years for Katsuba.
The Tokyo District Court plans to issue a ruling on the case Thursday.
Yamaguchi said he believes Katsuba will be found guilty as he has admitted to the charges.
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