Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa has agreed to comply with a request from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's special investigation squad to be questioned voluntarily about dubious points surrounding a 2004 Tokyo land deal. The questioning of Mr. Ozawa, a powerful DPJ leader, will have negative repercussions for the Hatoyama administration. The timing is bad as the regular Diet session starts Jan. 18.
The prosecution, meanwhile, has already questioned Mr. Tomohiro Ishikawa, a DPJ Lower House member and a former secretary of Mr. Ozawa, on a voluntary basis.
Separately, Mr. Takanori Okubo, another former secretary of Mr. Ozawa, has been indicted on allegations of reporting that Mr. Ozawa's fund management organization, Rikuzankai, received ¥35 million in donations from two political organizations when the money actually came from Nishimatsu Construction Co.