The Yomiuri Shimbun
Former Administrative Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya denied taking bribes during two separate interviews conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun at his home in Shinjuku Ward on Nov. 17 and Saturday prior to his arrest Wednesday.
Moriya, however, seemed to acknowledge that his arrest was imminent. "It would be possible to indict me for the bribe-taking without my having been specifically requested to grant favors. I should have behaved more appropriately," the disgraced former bureaucrat said, occasionally tearing up. Following are excerpts of the interview:
The Yomiuri Shimbun: Did you think Miyazaki [former senior managing director of defense contractor Yamada Corp.] entertained you without expecting anything in return?
Moriya: He never said that kind of thing.
Didn't you do any favors for him?
He never asked for favors, nor did I do any for him. If we had had such a relationship, it wouldn't have continued for so long.
Do you see your arrest as inevitable?
I don't want [to be arrested], but I think I can't prevent it. Just playing golf can constitute bribery, you know. I was astonished at the great power of the state. [I am] so powerless.
Why did you mention Finance Minister [Fukushiro] Nukaga and former Defense Minister [Fumio] Kyuma during your testimony at the Diet as among those who were entertained by Miyazaki ?
I had been saying that my memory might be faulty, and that I didn't want to make trouble for others, but the stage was set to force me to talk. Then [after the testimony, Nukaga and Kyuma] said they didn't go. That made me anxious, wondering whether my memory might be wrong.
(Nov. 30, 2007)
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