image: TBSNews
DHC Chairman Loans “800 million yen to Mr. Yoshimi Watanabe”
- What are Politicians? –
Fifty million yen cost Inose his political
career. Although Watanabe is almost in
the same situation, he borrowed as much as 800 million yen! I wonder how what he intended to use 800
million yen, which, according to him, he borrowed as an individual, not for
election campaign funds. I think that
politicians who tell obvious lies without any embarrassment are shameless,
special type of people. Honest people
must be inferior race by their standard.
Masatoshi
Takeshita
March
27, 2014
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English translation of a Japanese article: The
Asahi Shimbun – March 26, 2014 –
DHC
President Loans “800 million yen to Mr. Yoshimi Watanabe” – Weekly Magazine
Reports
Private papers that Mr. Yoshida Yoshiaki, the chairman of a big cosmetics company DHC (Minato Ward, Tokyo), loaned
a total of 800 million yen to Your Party leader Yoshimi Watanabe was
posted in a weekly magazine “Shukan Shinchou” that went no sale on 26. Mr. Watanabe reportedly
asked for a loan. Although some of the
loan has been repaid, debtor balance
reportedly amounts to approximately 550 million yen.
On the other hand, Mr. Watanabe listed debtor balance of 250 million yen in his financial
statement as of December 16, 2012, submitted to the House of
Representatives. There is a discrepancy between his report and the amount
described in Mr. Yoshida’s private papers.
If he had used some of the loan for his political
activities or election campaigning and failed to list it in the
income-expenditure reports, it may constitute a
violation of the Political Funds Control Law or the Public Office Election Law.
According to the magazine, Mr. Yoshida paid
into Watanabe’s private bank account 300 million yen in June before the 2010 July
House of Councilors election and 500 million yen in November before the 2012 December
House of Representatives election, respectively. Mr. Yoshida also told that he had received an
IOU for 300 million yen he loaned in 2010 but an IOU for 500 million yen he loaned
in 2012 had not been forwarded.
Mr. Watanabe’s office says: “We cannot make
any comment because we haven’t seen an article before the magazine goes on sale.” A person close to Mr.
Watanabe demonstrate the recognition of proposing no problems because it
was a loan as an individual, paid the interest
and has the intension to pay off.
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English translation of an excerpt from a
Japanese article: richardkosihmizu’s blog – March 27, 2014 –
Main
exchange of questions and answers by DHC Chairman – Request for a loan of “300
million yen” made by Mr. Watanabe Made
“He asked me to loan money necessary for
elections.” On 26, Chairman Yoshiaki Yoshida of DHC (based at Tokyo) accepted
an interview with the Asahi Shimbun and talked about why
and how he loaned 800 million yen to Your Party leader Yoshimi Watanabe,
in detail. Main exchange of questions
and answers is as follows:
Q: When did you transfer the money?
A: “I paid 300 million yen before the 2010
House of Councilors election and 500 million yen before the 2012 House of
Representatives election, respectively.”
Q: Did you recognize
the money as being used as campaign funds?
A: Can I borrow
money for a purpose other than campaign funds? Usually, we borrow or lend 10 million yen at
most, don’t we? It is apparently
necessary for elections.”
Q: Did Mr. Watanabe
tell you that he needed money for elections?
A: “Of course. Nothing but election was talked about. I paid money to a private bank account,
different from a bank account for political contribution.”
Q: Did Mr. Watanabe mention the amount of
money?
A:” Yes.
He mentioned around 300 million yen or so. It was the same with a loan of 500 million
yen. Why would I offer 300 million yen
or 500 million yen”?
Q: In the 2012 House of Representatives
election, All Your Party was finding a way to forge an election alliance with
the Japan Restoration Party. What made
you reach an agreement to loan 500 million yen?
A: “I asked him how much money was
necessary. He said that approximately 2
billion yen would be necessary to have 100 candidates elected. Subsequently, I was informed that only 500
million yen was necessary (because of cancellation of election cooperation).
Q: How about interest or mortgage?
A: “When I borrowed 300 million yen, he
personally signed an IOU. I suppose that
an interest was a few hundredth of a percent.
There was no description of mortgage or repayment deadline. When it comes to a loan of 500 million yen,
nothing about it was talked about.
Q: Could you show us an IOU of 300 million
yen?
A: “It is difficult to find the IOU because
it is in a safe.”
Q: Did he show any reaction after money was
transferred?
A:”I might have received a mail to the
effect that he received it with thanks.
I remember the mail conveying no feeling of appreciation. So I don’t know about how he felt and all the
more about the money.”
Q: Why have you
reveal the flow of money?
A: “Why have I
supported All Your Party with a lot of money? That is to reform the bureaucracy,
which damages Japan. I was out of patience with Mr. Watanabe, who didn’t give any
posts in the Upper House Budget Committee to Yui-no-tou (Unity Party),
which put up a slogan of breaking bureaucracy-led government (after breaking
apart from All Your Party). I didn’t
have any desire to have him pay back.
