The Yomiuri Shimbun
OSAKA--A secretary of Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Yoshio Maki held talks with Japan Post after an organization for the disabled complained that post offices had refused to send direct mail, which since has been found to be part of an alleged scam abusing postage discounts, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Thursday.
According to sources, the chairman of Hakusan-kai, a Tokyo-based organization for the disabled, told the secretary of the House of Representatives member from Aichi Prefecture that post offices had refused to handle a mass direct mailing for major electronics retailer Best Denki Co., which is suspected of abusing the discount given to organizations for the disabled.
The secretary then made an inquiry with Japan Post, now Japan Post Service Co., and the mail was sent a short time after through Shin-Tokyo Post Office, which is now the Shin-Tokyo office of the postal firm that was searched Thursday.
Maki told The Yomiuri Shimbun: "The secretary asked questions of Japan Post without knowing that the mail in question was to be sent using the discount service. I didn't know about it until the media asked me about it."
According to the sources, Shinsei Kigyo, an Osaka-based advertising firm, was entrusted with direct mail-related business by Best Denki regarding a sales promotion event in February 2007. The advertising firm took Best Denki direct mail to two post offices in Saitama Prefecture.
The mail included periodicals from Hakusan-kai, in an alleged attempt to misuse the discount service.
However, the two post offices noticed that the sender of the direct mail was Hakusan-kai, but the return address was Best Denki. The post offices then refused to send the mail.
After the Hakusan-kai chairman consulted Maki's office, the secretary accompanied the chairman to a Japan Post branch to make inquiries. Around that time, Shinsei Kigyo took the direct mail to Shin-Tokyo Post Office, and the mail was sent.
According to Maki, the secretary was told that Hakusan-kai had a problem with post offices when trying to send mass mailings on behalf of another organization.
It has been learned that the Hakusan-kai chairman donated 240,000 yen to Maki in the name of a credit survey company he runs.
(Apr. 17, 2009)
Posts
