Tokyo prosecutors have arrested a secretary of opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa on suspicion of receiving illegal political donations.The secretary, Takanori Okubo, is in charge of accounting for the Democratic Party leader's fund managing group, Rikuzankai.
Prosecutors also arrested 2 others, including Mikio Kunisawa, a former president of scandal-tainted Nishimatsu Construction.
Prosecutors allege that Rikuzankai received donations from 2 political organizations headed by a retired official of Nishimatsu Construction.
Japan's political fund control law bans corporate donations to political groups other than parties, and donations made under assumed names.
Rikuzankai reportedly received 14 million yen, or more than 140,000 dollars, from 2003 to 2006 from the political organizations linked to Nishimatsu.
Prosecutors say money from the 2 organizations effectively amounted to donations from Nishimatsu itself, and that Rikuzankai took the money knowing that it consisted of corporate donations.
The arrested secretary is reportedly denying the allegations.
The 2 others, including Kunisawa, are alleged to have made donations under the name of the political groups although the money was from their company.
Kunisawa and the company's former vice president, Keiji Fujimaki, had been indicted for bringing slush funds into Japan generated through overseas operations.
2009/03/03 18:13(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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