Ozawa found not guilty in fund scandal

disgusting!

No BIG surprise here!! Prosecution took way too long to prove anything against this low-lifer!!

Ozawa merely behaves in the way that he was schooled by his predecessors. At the same time he knows that the old ways must now cede to a new design and he is astute enough to realise that it is better to take a lead role in ushering in such changes than stubbornly cling to the past. Only somebody with his depth of understanding of what is possible to achieve within the rigid constraints of Japanese politics could have wrested control from Jiminto and given Japan anything like the real alternative two party system which has evolved over the past 20 years. They should be applauding him for that but ignorant types instead, hate him for no good reason. Quite comical really because Ozawa exemplifies certain aspects of the national character. In excoriating him for doing whatever it takes to get the job done, they are, in effect, negatively judging themselves. Kansai is where they hate him most of all; both for his forementioned wily astuteness and because he's not from these parts but from Iwate and their cultural prejudices and elitism comes bubbling to the surface when an outsider dare presume the right to tell them what's good for them.

This is J politics !

I don't believe this. Hahahahaha. Of course , as the big Boss he knew everything about the funds and what and where it went... mmmmmmm weak prosecutors.

Possible new slogan: Support Ozawa. Successfully evading the law for 69 years.

Gee like I could of never guessed the outcome :p

I wonder if Ozawa will rebound with the verdict. Yeah, he might be the next PM. I wonder if he'll do any good.

Obviously... was there ever any doubt he would walk?

This has been a costly trial for Ozawa. Or perhaps I should say it was a costly verdict?

But did it cost him more in money or in favors, both called in and promised? That is what I want to know.

And the opposition is looking forward to blow his head off

NHK said when Ozawa heard the verdict, he nodded deeply.

Cash buyer sought

I hear he could get a good deal on some island real estate just off Okinawa

shane beat me to it. Ozawa must be laughing his ass off.

Ozawa will be next PM. Mark my words :)

Was there ever any doubt over this verdict? He is untouchable! He is primed to be the next PM of Japan.

Haha to katta Innocent = no tax rise= everyone happy

Have to agree with Zen Student - Ozawa is the Teflon Man - even though he is a creepy, slimy tax-thief , I have to admire his cunning and ability to squirm out of trouble every time.

At least JT put this article under CRIME and not NATIONAL, so thanks JT!!

OZAWA is SCUM!! So they did not find him guilty this time?? OK! Soon enough his jig will be up!

If people have evidence of corruption in the court, they're free to present it. Otherwise, stop criticising the court for giving back a verdict you don't like. If you want a court that convicts politicians when they fall from favour, move to China.

I had a feeling he would get off. There didn't seem to be any/much direct evidence. He may have been lying, but merely suspecting someone of not telling the truth isn't enough for a conviction.

What's that i hear? It's the sound of Ozawa laughing all the way to the Diet building. (cue cliched deep villain laugh with head thrown fully back) I don't like this guy, something creepy about him but man, gotta admit, he is resilient!

Thursday’s verdict clears the way for Ozawa to confront Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda over controversial plans to double the sales tax by 2015.

Get ready to Battle Ozawa and I will support you. There are a lot other ways to bring the economy back. No new taxes. Noda is a fat liar.

Ozawa won, the bureaucrats lost.

Completely as expected. The Old Boy Network lives on.

Big party tonight at OZawa's mansion, EVERYONE is invited.

This trial was done in front of the lay judges, so I think taking about the "corruption of the system" would be premature here. The fact that he was found innocent shows not so much how "bad" or "corrupt" he is, but that the prosecutors did not do their job right. the statement "It's unthinkable that he didn't know it" is NOT the proof that he actually did it.

There is a hope for me that the next time some lady calls "chikan" after me, she will need to give some proof that I actually did it and it will not be my responsibility to prove it that I'm innocent. How am I supposed to prove my innocence? Why should I prove my innocence? They need to prove my guilt! The prosecutors did not do their job right, so obviously he is innocent. Regardless whether he is crooked or not.

Why did he become so rich anyway? Do many Japanese have this kind of big money like 4-oku-yen?

This is the kind of person, suffering from amnesia, we want as our leaders, don't we?

Nope, this is the kind of person you want picking up your tab after a heavy drinking session.

He spent 400 million. He does not recall it. This is the kind of person, suffering from amnesia, we want as our leaders, don't we?

Japanese politics at its finest. (SARCASM)

garomakaikishi: "ozawa is exactly the kind of leader japan needs to fix its ways and culture. japan has become screwed up over the years."

You seem eager to forget Ozawa's one of the people who screwed it up despite promising the contrary. He makes pretty firm decisions and promises compared to a lot of the wishy-washy people who take the helm, but don't forget his promises and decisions have up to now always been made shortly before he has to resign for them, and then blame subsequent people for not fulfilling the impossibilities he promised on their behalf. As for the "I don't recall the 400 million (that bought him his land)", I don't think anyone buys the 'foggy memory' defense.

ozawa is exactly the kind of leader japan needs to fix its ways and culture. japan has become screwed up over the years.

Is anyone really surprised? These Old Boys protect each other so fiercely that there's ZERO hope for politics in Japan for the distant future, let alone the near. This guy will most certainly throw in his hat to be the next DPJ leader and PM, despite promising about three times to quit and form another party when he didn't get his way. Sadder still, as with many corrupt politicians who vowed to end corruption (as he did when Tanaka resigned for the same scandal in the 70's, I might add) he'd probably win the nomination this time around.

-8 For predicting what the result would be? Really? -8 for knowing that the legal system is a joke and the rich get off scott-free while scapegoating those below them.

It's not like I wanted the guy to get off. I wanted him to go to jail where he belongs. Unfortunately you and I both know that the legal system here is as broken as the analog TV you threw out. Only 1 of us is in denial here though.

These crooks always get off.

Next up the President of TEPCO? Don't even waste the taxpayers money. He'll get off clean.

Ozawa has some great ideas to be fair. Thing is, he's dishonest, does illegal things, is a bully and throws fits when he doesn't get his way. Not exactly someone I want running the country.

i think his opposition ton some kind of consumption tax increase, like a VAT system, is misguided, but other than that Hikozaemon's comments are basically accurate.

ozawa was a primary mover in drawing up the original manifesto of the DJP, which has since been gutted through collaboration with the established and monied class politicos of the LDP.

No shockers on the verdict. Ozawa is free to continue scamming and lying. The only thing that makes me happy with this is that many of the public will refuse to allow this bullfrog to become PM.

Synbios

My thoughts exactly.

Japanese politicians decry the decistion (and breathe a sigh of relief)!

he is one of japans last hope

Then Japan is in real trouble. With him free to fight Noda on the much-needed rise in the consumption tax, Japan's slide into economic oblivion will only accelerate. The only folks who benefit from this is the LDP, who now have an ally within Noda's own party to oppose the needed reforms.

What a remarkable surprise.

This is news? Writing was on the wall from day 1. The day someone of his stature is convicted is the day we see changes in Japan.

I wish I had a rain jacket with Ozawa technology, because everything would just roll off.

And yes, very few seem to have any clue about this, but indeed, as horrible as it may be to say out loud it is true:

Ozawa is/was Japan's last hope for democratically accountable governance. DPJ is finished now, I hope he can get into a position to be able to reform government again soon, but it may well take another 10 years before a credible opposition can build up again against the DPJ/LDP/Komeito/Establishment alliance.

What suspicious is that this happened right after he got in a fight with sec. clinton over the bases in okinawa.

Prosecutors need to be investigated next as to why the proceeded with a case with no evidence (except what it turned out they fabricated) that clearly had a political agenda.

My guess is that the Man will move the prosecutors involved out into cushy private sector jobs pretty quickly.

In the end, the purpose of this politically motivated prosecution has been served. Ozawa has been shut out of influence in the DPJ for two years, his bureaucratic reform campaign has been halted and reversed, and Japan is being run by people who "play ball" with the system the same way the LDP does.

Even when you win, you lose. Nice to see some justice, but the Oyaji won this battle a long time ago. I hope Ozawa can get back to ripping orifices out of the establishment again soon.

Peace

While I do believe there was little chance of him getting convicted, particularly after the prosecutors bungled the case quite badly, there was a slim ray of hope.

Now Noda better watch out, Ozawa is gunning for him. Noda's best ploy right now would be to dissolve the lower house, call a snap election, and sit back and watch the LDP take over.

The AFP photo shows him in his best light.... Kinda reminds you Jabba-the-Hut.....

I think there is absolutely no hope for the Japanese if they don't begin to rebel against the corruption that we can see exists not only inside the Diet and the political parties, but also inside the justice system, police, etc.

Now, you don't have to be an expert in psicology or deep human analysis to see that this "political big shot" has done something against the law for his own benefits, just check how he talks about politics and then how he talks about his implication in all the things he has been asked in court. You can see how he is an expert demagogue that only talks calmly to the voters he wants to brainwash and is completely rude against persecutors, judges, journalists, etc. I really hope he gets fairly judge again in the future and he gets what he deserves.

tmarieApr. 26, 2012 - 10:54AM JST

But go on, explain.

In case you didn't know Japan has an adversarial legal system, rather than an inquisitorial legal system. The adversarial system is the two-sided structure under which criminal trial courts operate that pits the prosecution against the defense. Justice is done when the most effective adversary is able to convince the judge or jury that his or her perspective on the case is the correct one.

The japanese prosecutorial office act as if they are operating in an inquisitorial legal system, where they are the judge and jury on someone's guilt and the final court appearance of the accused is merely going to be a ceremonial confirmation and sentencing process. Japanese prosecutors are intellectually flabby and investigatively lazy. When someone doesn't confess to the charges that are placed at them, the prosecutors do one or two things. They torture a confession out of the accused by the 21 day detention process or they creatively tamper with the evidence. What they don't do is spend a little shoe leather and go out there and gather evidence that shows the guilt of the accused.

In this case, the failure is quite clearly with the prosecutor's office and nothing to do with Japanese society, japanese elites or the Japanese judicial system.

Slowly but surely, as the Japanese legal system develops into a proper adversarial system, the prosecuting lardasses are going to find that they are gonna have get over their fear of open spaces and get out there and gather evidence for their cases.

Pure as a new born child,

I'm glad we can go back to trusting our politicians again.

within his heart........he is laughing his as.s off!!!!!!

It's impossible to give a guilty judgement when the only thing the prosecutors have to prove him guilty was to say that "(being innocent was) unthinkable".

i hope he's aquitted so that he can FINALLY take the reins of the japanese govt. once he fails, the public can FINALLY be rid of him. and in the slim chance he can succeed, all the better. but my money will be on him failing miserably.

So you admit the system is weak, you agree there are issues, you think he's guilty and will get off and yet, you disagree with my post??

tmarieApr. 26, 2012 - 09:52AM JST

Not guilty. It is Japan. Why would I expect anything less?

Oh come on!!! It has nothing to do with a failing in the japanese judicial system, any other decision would have been an injustice. The prosecution's case was pathetic and the recording of the prosecutor trying to bully Ozawa's aide into admitting Ozawa had knowledge of the payment was the final nail in the coffin.

The failure here, if you want to get geopositional, is the prosecutorial side of the japanese legal system. They are lazy, depending way too much on confessions being tortured out of the accused, and they are incompetent, look at the Osaka floppy disc tampering case. They are completely goal orientated and have no understanding of basics of the role of a legal system in a liberal democracy.

Again, it will never happen, Japanese arrogance knows no limits, but anyone who wants to work in the japanese prosecutors office, should do a 1 year trip abroad as an assistant in a country with a proper prosecutorial department, before they even get to set foot in a Japanese prosecutor's office.

Of course we all know Ozawa is guilty of this and many other dirty dealings, but this is not quite China.

Go to jail, go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars.

Not guilty. It is Japan. Why would I expect anything less? If he IS found guilty, ha, suspended sentence. Either way, he does no time.

This geezer could shoot his mistress dead and run out of a hotel butt naked with a smoking gun on cctv and get away with it. Seriously this whole thing is a time waster not to mention a waste of tax money.

i pray he walks. he is one of japans last hope.

This slippery guy won't get convicted even though he is as guilty as hell. Pity.

He'll be foung innocent, or at worst given a suspended sentence. To quote Hitler "You have only to kick in the door for the whole rotten structure to come down". Only in this case, it's true. For Japanese courts to start tackling corruption would be suicidal

I still like the original ideals that the DPJ had at the beginning.

I don't really like Ozawa that much but I hope he's acquitted and makes it to the premiership since he's hellbent on reinstating the policies of the original Manifesto.

The current administration with Noda looks like a carbon copy of the LDP whom I despise.

Guilty, supended, agenda keeps marching on. Next Japan PM?

Innocent.

D-Day ? may be for Tom Deacon Harry not for Ichiro Ozawa !