House of Representatives lawmaker Koki Ishii took five months to give police his driver's license after its revocation in April, sources close to the case said Sunday.
Ishii, 60, is a member of the Democratic Party of Japan. He was caught speeding on the Metropolitan Expressway last fall and had his license revoked in late April due to the speeding and previous traffic violations.
The Metropolitan Police Department asked Ishii to come to the police station several times and hand in his driver's license, but Ishii did not comply until Wednesday, the sources said.
Ishii's driver's license expired last November after he failed to renew it. Because a traffic law stipulates that revocation begins from the date of expiration, Ishii's license will be invalid only until November.
Ishii said he had been too busy to turn in his license.
"I did not mean to dodge the penalty. I have explained to the police several times that I could not appear myself at a police station because of lawmaker activities and illness," he said. "I have already paid the fine and have refrained from driving during this period."
Ishii was elected as a Lower House member in 1993 and is serving his third term representing Tokyo's No. 6 constituency.