June 25, 2009Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano received a total of some 85.3 million yen in donations from a political organization between 1981 and 2005, it emerged on Wednesday.
The latest revelation adds some 30 million yen to the amount the finance minister received in donations up until 1991 from the Seikei Seisaku Kenkyu-kai (Politics, economics, and policy research association), from which he was already found to have received 55.3 million yen between 1992 and 2005.
Responding to a question posed by opposition Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Katsuhiko Yokomitsu during a session of the House of Representatives Committee on Audit and Oversight of Administration on Wednesday, Yosano said he received a monthly sum of 250,000 yen in donations from the political organization since its establishment in 1981.
Asked about his ties with Yukio Kato, who represents the political organization and serves as proprietor of futures trading company Orient Boeki (presently H.S. Futures), Yosano said, "I became acquainted with him around 1975. When I lost in an election in 1979, he encouraged me, saying, 'You shouldn't feel down over just one loss. Keep trying to run in elections.' He is a supporter of goodwill, and I have since cherished our relationship."
Regarding the reason why the donations ceased in October 2005, Yosano said: "I had heard that Kato had been undergoing treatment for illness for some time. An official with my political organization said it felt awkward to continue accepting donations. The donations ended at the same time I assumed the post of minister of state for financial services."
The minister flatly denied there was any approach from Orient Boeki prior to the 2006 enactment of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law, which came during his term as minister of state for financial services.
"There was no petition filed by the financial instruments industry over the bill," Yosano said.
Later on Wednesday evening, Yosano met reporters at the Finance Ministry and ruled out the possibility of probing the political organization over the donations.
"There are no grounds to doubt the goodwill of those who kindly made donations," the minister said.
"If there is a clear legal problem, I will make a judgment then," Yosano said, adding that he was "not thinking about" quitting as finance minister.
(Mainichi Japan) June 25, 2009
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