Ozawa says he knew nothing of how campaign fund was managed

His trial is scheduled to continue until March and a verdict will be handed down in April, according to local media reports.

he will be acquitted and come out clean singing "'mo sugu haru dane...!"

The circus is in town.

"not reporting 400 million yen of his own money that he loaned to his funding body in 2004 to facilitate a land deal,"

Wonder if this land deal would be in Okinawa, somewhere north of Futenma?

This guy is untouchable. A Japanese Al Capone for his generation.

Ozawa doesn't need all this aggravation.

This guy is a fake japanese !

Ozawa is the Japanese "Teflon Don".

400 million yen of his own money that he loaned

Didn't he have to inken that slip for withdrawal ?

Ozawa testifies he knew nothing of how his campaign fund was managed

They didn't expect him to testify that he did know did they??????? Perhaps he is dubbed the Shadow Shogun because he seems to get away so easily with what he does. If he gets outta this jam he will feel s if he is the only untouchable in Japan.

It doesn't matter if he knows nothing. He is still responsible. And I don't believe for a second that this guy knows nothing.

But as usual he get away with it.

400 million yen of your own money is quite a big sum of money not to report or "not know about".

This is quite unfortunate since I like many of his ideas in the "Manifesto" that we came so close to actualizing when the DPJ first came to power.

“I know nothing about practical things,” said Ozawa

'Tis a truth of sorts, I suppose.

Ignorance is no excuse.

I don't think anyone , would believe he didn't know about the money. Isn't that what politicians do best,extort money from the tax payers (government wasteful spending),or through big businesses so called donations to secure government contracts,like maybe a dam project. I would think Ozawa could count loose change in his pocket without even taking his hand out of his pocket. But we have seen how the big private club works here in Japan. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1151722,00.html is one example,recently the Olympus saga. Politics and Big Business are one of the same,one protects the other. Three months of a trial, who in a lot of peoples minds think is just a showcase with the outcome already decided. This man thinks he is above the law.

Can someone wake him up? isn't sleeping in court contempt of court? (not that he holds nothing but contempt for that court I'm sure.)

He's so slippery, he should have an eel species named after him.

Nice, I wish when I talked to customs, immigration, tax office, keystones I cud just say I dont know anything ask my dog!

I also wish I had 400mil I didnt really care or worry about, lieing SOB!

The "Ostrich Defense", my head was purposefully in the sand, would not work in the Western world. Apparently, it already worked with the career prosecutors. If it had not been for the citizen jurors, this "incident" would already be swept under the rug.

However, as my wife always reminds me "This is Japan." So, I only expect an acquittal or a solemn apology for JPY400M in hard cash changing hands in violation of some laws against undocumented political contributions.

Why would Ozawa personally loan money to purchase property? There are banks more than willing to lend JPY400M to legitimate concerns. It makes me question the legitimacy of the cash and Ozawa. In his mind, he has done nothing wrong.

The presence of cash usually means those people who are getting paid don't want to have a trail of bank records because the payment broke some law.

In the US, I recall some politician was arrested for cash kept in his freezer. It couldn't have been very much money. Apparently, it takes several paper shopping bags to hold JPY400M in cash.

In the end, this incident will be a minor inconvenience for Ozawa. Rather than discouraging illegal cash payments, politicians and their supporters will be emboldened.

Ozawa's statements do not pass either the smell test or the laugh test.

It smells fishy, and I would have laughed had he tried to make me believe these assertions.

“I know nothing about practical things,”

Well, then, he should quit his job, shouldn't he?

Who is this guys legal person? knowing nothing and actual fact doesn't mean you are not guilty.

It's like ignoring the truth

Ozawa was more likeable before DPJ came into power, when he liked to style himself as the underdog who would be able to lift Japan out of its quagmire. What a disappointment.

Maybe Ozawa doesn't know anything at all.

Ozawa testifies he knew nothing of how his campaign fund was managed

I remember a judge telling me some thirty odd years ago that ignorance is not an excuse. Good luck Ozawa!

@Disillusioned Not sure if you are Japanese or not but there are different rules for "Gaijin" here. A foreigner could honestly NOT know and still be prosecuted for something. Hell, if they can't read Kanji, then they obviously don't know.

Mr. Ozawa KNOWS. Once again Japanese like to insult the intelligence of other people. If you buy into this lie he'll be laughing over Sake later with his buddies.

People are different. Those who are rich CHOOSE to be. Ozawa would have you believe that he's the first wealthy man who doesn't know his bottom line number. Of course the man knew how much money they had.

"Factions" should be illegal... start your own party, having a party within a party is pointless a party is suppose to be united.

In other news....dog doesn't know how he got his bone

I know nothing about practical things.

He should use that as his slogan for the next elections.

If he says he knows nothing under oath, then that is the end of the story.

Right....Yes....

Ozawa is a corrupt thug. Simple, clear and obvious. So why lie? Everyone knows he knew and everyone knows he is lying. So why play games?

Sadly this thug will get off and return to his political position of power and influence. Japan's political system almost encourages this behavior.

I wish someone explain to me as this disgusting pig was able to amass a fortune in real estate ?

He owns hundreds of properties to be more exact.

If he says he knows nothing under oath, then that is the end of the story.

Whats wrong with you, you don't seem to care about corruption in Japan at all, just let everything slide as long as they have money?

gogogo,

No, of course not. Believe me, I would like to see the DPJ exposed as a fraud and embarrassed out of power. We need the LDP to save Japan from the likes of Hatoyama, Ozawa and their ilk.

At the same time, class does transcend politics, and we need to protect our own.

j4p4nFTW: Glad to hear that, but protect (your) own? This is Japanese vs Japanese, JP law vs DPJ, this isn't a ethnicity issue.... unless you are part of the DPJ when you say own?

Hold the phone, class? Every man is created equal, rich or poor and the same laws apply to everyone regardless of creed, title, money or job position.

Hold the phone, class? Every man is created equal, rich or poor and the same laws apply to everyone regardless of creed, title, money or job position.

@gogogo Are you trying to make us laugh? Just checking. That sounds like a joke to me. If you are serious then you've never been to court here in Japan. I pray you never have to find out what reality is like. I'm down here at ground zero....where are you gogogo?

"We need the LDP to save Japan from the likes of Hatoyama, Ozawa and their ilk."

Seriously? The two main parties here are two sides of the same coin. Both have had ample opportunity to show their support and devotion to ordinary working Japanese. But have either done so? The LDP had over 50 years to do so. And yet......

The problem is not the party in power J4p... the problem is the political system in Japan that essentially renders it a non-democratic state. Sure people vote and there are elections, but the real power is managed by the party leadership and not by the will of the people. Thus the parties can behave in whatever manner they desire so long as they have adequate votes to maintain power.

What Japan really needs is leadership that represents the people. And the only way that will happen is with radical reinvention of the political system in Japan. Including, but not limited to, providing direct elections for the country's PM.

What Japan really needs is leadership that represents the people.

That's the main problem right there. Most Japanese people would look at you like you're fresh out of the looney bin if you told that to them in their faces.

Most people here would talk about some political and social issues, but they would never get in depth. The "shouganai", "kankeinai" and "medoukusai" mentalities are really what's keeping the government and corporate officials from doing what's really needed by the people.

@NetNinja: My comment is in reply to j4p4nFTW

j4p4nFTW,

You're right j4p4nFTW. We can say that: kan, Noda, ozawa, loopy Hatoyama are real "gokiburi" of Japanese society.

The only difference between them is that loopy Hatoyama is a "gokiburi" blue-blooded

Those bastards are ruining Japan !

gogogo,

I mean fellow high net worth individuals.

tkoind2,

The two main parties here are two sides of the same coin.

Really? DPJ members have been members of communist and socialist parties, include people who support Kim Jong Il and his former regime in the DPRK, people such as former PM Kan who spoke of the Socialist International dream of nation states someday disappearing, etc etc.

They are NOT on the same coin.

Sure people vote and there are elections, but the real power is managed by the party leadership and not by the will of the people.

Yes, the elections are a show designed to give the appearance of democracy. Same as in the United States or the UK. This will never change, however.

direct elections for the country's PM.

This is a dangerous idea, especially in a nation that we have purposely kept docile on empty television entertainment and mindless consumerism. It is too easy for a Stalin, Hitler or Obama to rise to power under such conditions. It's best that we keep the election of our Prime Minister in the hands of the wealthy and landed elite.

Tkoind2,

"" Seriously? The two main parties here are two sides of the same coin. Both have had ample opportunity to show their support and devotion to ordinary working Japanese. But have either done so? The LDP had over 50 years to do so. And yet......""

Most Westerners,not understand that a movement there anti-Japanese within the country ( Han-Niti, Niti-Seisaku, Niti-kaniyou ). These movements are mostly sponsored by unions, association of pachinko and foreigners from neighboring countries. While Japan does not change its constitution this country can not be considered ""normal"". Japan still suffers the consequences of ""GHQ"". Even with all defects, no give to compare LDP with dpj. LDP party is much better.