Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was put on the defensive Wednesday over recent remarks appearing to encourage Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa to fight prosecutors over allegations of his involvement in a money scandal.
Answering questions in the Diet, Hatoyama, embroiled in a scandal of his own, said his comments were not intended to pressure or intervene in the prosecutors' probe, and added he believes "a fair investigation would be under way."
"I only expressed my approval of the secretary general's efforts in his battle to reform Japanese politics," Hatoyama said during a plenary session of the Upper House.