THE ASAHI SHIMBUN2009/6/27
Tokyo prosecutors Friday indicted Mikio Kunisawa, former president of Nishimatsu Construction Co., over the company's alleged purchase of fund-raising party tickets for trade minister Toshihiro Nikai's group through dummy political organizations.
They said the 70-year-old Kunisawa's actions violated the Political Fund Control Law that prohibits companies from making donations to politicians via third-party organizations.
Initially, prosecutors had decided not to indict him on this issue. On June 16, however, an inquest committee recommended that criminal charges be pursued.
It is extremely rare for prosecutors to make such an about-turn in a case involving politicians.
Kunisawa is now on trial in a different case concerning alleged illegal donations by Nishimatsu to organizations headed by former Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) leader Ichiro Ozawa. (IHT/Asahi: June 27,2009)
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