11/29/2007THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
With a former top Defense Ministry bureaucrat in custody, prosecutors now plan to determine if politicians were involved in shady business transactions at the ministry, sources said.
Investigators with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office who have been looking into the case surrounding former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya have asked ministry officials what they know about Moriya's influence on ministry-related business deals.
Since Nov. 13, officials have been questioned about whether Moriya tried to give favors to Motonobu Miyazaki, a former executive with defense contractor Yamada Corp. who lavishly treated Moriya to entertainment sessions and golf outings, the sources said.
In the course of the questioning, some ministry officials have been asked about comments made by politicians over the purchase of supplies by the Defense Ministry even if Moriya and Miyazaki were not directly involved in the procedures.
About 10 prosecutors from other divisions in the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, as well as other district public prosecutors offices, have been brought in to help with the ongoing investigation into Moriya and also into the Defense Ministry.
Currently, about 30 prosecutors are involved in the investigation.
Defense Ministry officials have been asked to recall what comments were made by defense lobby politicians in relation to such business deals in order to determine if the politicians helped steer business deals to certain companies.
The investigation into the links between Diet members and defense contractors will likely continue even as investigators build their case against Moriya, the sources said.
In looking into the embezzlement case against Miyazaki, investigators have searched the offices of the Japan-U.S. Center for Peace and Cultural Exchange.
A number of influential defense lobby politicians serve as directors of that center. Miyazaki served as a director until last year.(IHT/Asahi: November 29,2007)
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