Bending to Prime Minister Naoto Kan's demands, former Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa said Tuesday he will appear before the Lower House ethics committee to explain his political money scandal.
Ozawa's acquiescence, which came a day after DPJ executives agreed to vote to summon him to the panel, brought the prolonged conflict roiling the DPJ to a new phase. The timing of his testimony may now become a point of contention.
Ozawa, who faces indictment for misreporting his political funds, has repeatedly refused to give unsworn testimony before the ethics panel, saying he would "prove his innocence in the trial."