House of Representatives member Hisayasu Nagata apologized Wednesday to the Lower House Disciplinary Committee over false allegations he made last month, based on a faked e-mail that suggested shady financial links between Livedoor Co. founder Takafumi Horie and a son of Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Tsutomu Takebe.
Committee chief Tetsundo Iwakuni of the Democratic Party of Japan, however, expressed dissatisfaction with Nagata's apology and his explanation of how it happened.
"He still did not reveal the name of the middleman, who has already been identified (outside the Diet), to the Disciplinary Committee," Iwakuni told reporters after the session. "As a Diet member, it is common sense to thoroughly explain (the facts) to the members of the committee who are there on behalf of the Lower House, the representatives of the public."