EDITORIAL: Ozawa's reluctance to answer questions only deepens suspicions

We were stunned by the news conference held by Ichiro Ozawa, the former president of the Democratic Party of Japan, after the first hearing of his trial for a political funding scandal.

As usual, he behaved in an intimidating way. He limited the number of questions he would take, and he also arranged to give favorable treatment to reporters for Internet sites that had attracted many of his supporters, while keeping at bay newspaper and TV reporters who had been critical of his response to the allegations against him.

It was glaringly obvious that Ozawa was on the defensive. He didn't act like a politician who thought he would be acquitted of the charges against him, and was accordingly unwilling to give straightforward answers to questions the public might have about the scandal.

Ozawa is a powerful politician who has been at the center stage of Japanese politics the past two decades or so.

There was great public interest in what he would say in the first hearing of his trial as a criminal defendant, after months of refusing to testify in the Diet regarding allegations of falsified political funds for a dubious land purchase by his political fund organization.

Both his supporters and detractors must have paid great attention to his remarks at the news conference.

But Ozawa only read out the statement criticizing prosecutors he made in court and offered few substantial answers to questions from journalists.

Instead, he voiced his doubts about opinion polls conducted by newspapers and other media outlets.

Ozawa made clear that he deeply resents the reportage of his scandal in the traditional mass media.

Yet what we most want to know now is how his fund-raising body, Rikuzankai, actually raised the 400 million yen that was allegedly used to buy the land. Where did such a large amount of money come from? This is a question that has been attracting public attention because of its potential implications for the role of money in politics.

Ozawa's answer to this question was, "That's my money." But he refused to offer any further explanation, saying, "Ask prosecutors for details."

If it was his money, why didn't he just reveal where it came from?

As for errors and inappropriate entries in Rikuzankai's political funds reports, he criticized the investigators by saying investigations into such matters by police or prosecutors hamper "the free political activities that warrant parliamentary democracy."

He made a good point, but if true, it would mean that it is all the more important for him to give his own account of the issue at the Diet, and make a serious effort to resolve it within the legislature.

When asked by a reporter about his responsibility to answer questions about the scandal at the Diet, Ozawa said: "What do you think about the separation of powers? ... The judiciary is independent. You need to learn more (about the system) before asking questions."

It is a pity that the reporter didn't counter by pointing out that admitting his political responsibility for the scandal at the Diet would not cause any problems for his trial or that he shouldn't avoid explaining the issue at the Diet just because of the separation of powers.

The exchanges between Ozawa and reporters at the news conference revealed that we need to hone our investigative and questioning skills.

But that doesn't change the fact that Ozawa's reluctance to answer questions about the scandal has only raised many doubts and left us feeling suspicious.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 8