In the trial of former Democratic Party of Japan leader Mr. Ichiro Ozawa, who is accused of violating the Political Funds Control Law, the Tokyo District Court on Feb. 17 rejected as evidence the prosecution's record of certain oral statements made by his former secretary concerning Mr. Ozawa's alleged involvement in a false entry on a financial report for his political funds management body Rikuzankai. This evidence had been considered key.
Because the court identified illegalities involved in the interrogation that raised serious questions over the trustworthiness of the evidence, prosecution authorities should strictly examine whether prosecutors in general are conducting their investigations in a lawful manner.
Mr. Ozawa is charged with conspiring with three of his secretaries to falsify entries in Rikuzankai's financial reports in 2004 and 2005. The entries primarily concern ¥400 million Rikuzankai borrowed from Mr. Ozawa for the purchase of land in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward in October 2004. Although the prosecution twice previously decided not to indict him, he was charged on the strength of a vote by a Tokyo prosecution inquest committee made up of 11 citizens.