CHIBA (Kyodo) Chiba Gov. Kensaku Morita is facing fresh allegations linked to his fundraising activities, with education groups claiming he skipped taxes on fees he received for speeches between 2005 and 2007 before he was elected.
A parent-teacher association in Chiba Prefecture said Wednesday that Morita put more than ¥800,000 in fees he received for speaking to three education groups into the account of his fund management body, thus evading taxes on the money.
The three groups recently pointed out that they paid Morita on an individual basis, "as a token of their gratitude to an individual actor," indicating the actor-turned-politician should have paid tax on the fees.
Morita has begun to repay some of the money, said the PTA, which paid him ¥120,000 for a speech in November 2007.
After he was elected governor in late March, Morita found himself in hot water over allegations he failed to report donations in 2005 from groups linked to the Liberal Democratic Party.
It was also alleged that a local LDP chapter led by Morita received illegal corporate donations in 2005 and 2006.
Morita starred in 1970s television dramas before turning to politics.
