The arrest on Thursday of Mr. Masakuni Murakami, a former Liberal Democratic Party leader in the Upper House and a former labor minister, should have come as no surprise, given the growing suspicions about his role in the bribery scandal involving the KSD small-business mutual-aid foundation. Mr. Murakami is charged with receiving more than 72 million yen in cash for speaking in favor of a KSD project in the Diet.
Just last month, his former right-hand man, Mr. Takao Koyama, himself an LDP Upper House member and former labor vice minister, was also arrested on bribery charges. The arrest of Mr. Murakami in particular -- who played a key role in the selection of Mr. Yoshiro Mori as prime minister last April -- has delivered a serious additional blow to the already faltering Mori administration.
Appearing before the Upper House Budget Committee last Wednesday, Mr. Murakami passed up the chance to tell the truth, citing a witness's right not to give self-incriminating evidence. That is regrettable, although there was nothing legally wrong with his refusal to answer sensitive questions. One wonders why the Diet summoned him for testimony in the first place, given that they knew his position was legally tenable.