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Top gov't spokesman allegedly received ¥10 mil in kickbacks: source

33 Comments

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33 Comments
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That's not a bad bonus and it's tax free! Wonder what he spent it on?

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

Business as usual. He must have annoyed someone to have it leaked to the media though.

12 ( +21 / -9 )

Anybody related to Abe in any way is corrupt. Look at how many times that guy's name pops up in the news even to this day. Never for anything positive.

I've always thought Matsuno was a weasly looking dude. Guess he actually is when it comes to our money.

10 million undeclared. That's a lot. I just wish I made that much a year.

18 ( +23 / -5 )

Violation of the law's clause carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to five years or fines of up to 1 million yen upon conviction.

So, when was the last time a prison sentence was handed out for this transgression?

Stealing an onigiri from a convenience store is more likely to culminate in a gaol sentence and fine!

10 ( +18 / -8 )

If the tax office ever tries to nab you for undeclared income, just tell them you won't comment on an individual situation, but you will take the issue seriously. I don't think that would work, somehow.

11 ( +19 / -8 )

As others have noted, even though this whole affair is absolutely dripping with a foul odor, the political game in this LDP 'democracy' is so rigged and supported by a powerful foreign entity that Matsuno can confidently declare that he will continue working in order to diligently 'fulfill his duties.'

0 ( +13 / -13 )

Nice. Wish I was a politician.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

What a shocker.... said no one ever

1 ( +5 / -4 )

If there's one thing I've noticed about Japan since my first extended stay in 2011, it's political graft. And it's truly pitiful that it's accepted by the public. But, that's tradition for you, and if nothing else, Japan is traditional.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

"I will continue to fulfill my duties with a sense of responsibility," he said....

Hirokazu Matsuno later that night with the boys in Ginza: And my duty is I am responsible for stacking that yen!!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

he has no intention to resign when speaking at a regular Friday press conference.

"I will continue to fulfill my duties with a sense of responsibility," 

So, you're gonna accept more kickbacks and undeclared income?

Sounds about right.

I mean what member of Kishida's cabinet, ISN'T getting under the table payments for just being slime?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

LegrandeToday  05:33 pm JST

As others have noted, even though this whole affair is absolutely dripping with a foul odor, the political game in this LDP 'democracy' is so rigged and supported by a powerful foreign entity that Matsuno can confidently declare that he will continue working in order to diligently 'fulfill his duties.'

I wonder. I think the Tokyo prosecutors will have to throw the book at someone in order not to look like total incompetents, and the higher the profile of the person in question the better.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Tim SullivanToday  04:47 pm JST

That's not a bad bonus and it's tax free! Wonder what he spent it on?

Wigs?

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Pretty much every Japanese politician is corrupt. Being a politician in Japan attracts a certain type.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

"I will continue to fulfill my duties with a sense of responsibility,"

I think he meant to say ‘start’ not ‘continue.

If I didn’t declare ¥10 million I’d be locked up and deported. Give him prison time.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

For this type of corruption in Japan to end you first have to believe it is wrong.

If you think for a second people dont think it's wrong, you dont know much about politics here.

People will overlook crap like this, until it's public knowledge, THEN problems start. If no one knew about it openly, no one would say anything.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Just when you thought Abe was Japan's most corrupt politician, then this guy Matsuno comes along.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Does this suprise anyone?

4 ( +7 / -3 )

You need life impriosnment for accepting bribes and trying to hack the system.

There is this CPC member named Sun Zhengcai who thought he was deep enough within the CPC to get away with a 170 Million RMB Bribe ($28.25 Million).

He resorted to some bogus accounting and did some wok cooking with the books. Previuosly CPC officials needed to submit their Asset and Liabilities every three years and so it was relatively easy to cook and conceal.

Xi Jinping, however has since then declared that every CPC officials of a certain rank had to disclose their Assets and Liabilities every 12 months rather then every 36 months.

He appointed a commission, 192 dedicated people aimed to catch the corrupt, and they went after and questioned anyone who showed more than 15% increase in assets over a year or 100% across 5 years.

The many who were questioned proved that their increase in wealth stemmed from property investments and investments in shares. They provided the source, and this was a non issue with Xi, all except for Sun.

Sun Zhengcai claimed he invested his money in a Spanish firm. It only took a few days to establish that this was false because CPC members have to declare every outward transaction out of China, capped at a maximum of $100,000 a year, and that too could only be for education or healthcare.

Caught red handed, Sun tried to use his party connections to Jiang Zemin to extricate himself. A total of 76 officials were caught. Xi and the Party offered them a choice -

4/5 of the Assets paid back to the Party plus permanent resignation from all Chinese politics and mandatory exile to the Outer Provinces with permission needed to return even for a 7 day visit to Beijing or Trial & if guilty, life imprisonment.

The 75 gratefully paid their dues to the Party and China and went into exile. Sun boldly said he would face trial. At the trial, he was found guilty and sentenced to life. Under Chinese law his daughter was recalled from Stanford University and forced to establish her innocence.

You need some teeth to combat corruption.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

YUP, now why am I not surprised at all, time to DRAIN THE (SWAMPS)

1 ( +3 / -2 )

AndyToday  07:33 pm JST

Just when you thought Abe was Japan's most corrupt politician, then this guy Matsuno comes along.

He'd need to be at least as much of a sleazebag as the boss to get ahead in a crowd like that. It would involve turning a blind eye to or getting in on a lot of very dodgy stuff I suspect.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Violation of the law's clause carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to five years or fines of up to 1 million yen upon conviction.

It's a given that, if anyone does actually get convicted, they will get a suspended sentence, perhaps with a token fine just to placate the public. And then carry on as usual after being rotated into different position.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

When you are the one making and approving the laws "Anything Could Become LEGAL".

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Again? Is there an end to the LDP corruption?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Not a good look when pensioners are practically starving in this country.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

For a whole 10 mill? If you’re going to ruin your name and career, then at least do it for a proper chunk of change. Idiot.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Matsuno days are counted.

Discussions are already on to replace him, then the others who got kickbacks

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This is such a joke and it is being played on us. Why, because no where in the article does it mention that Japan's Zeimusho / IRS is investigating this guy. All it says are that there are "allegations". This guy is some sort of a political press sacrifice or target of another party. Always remember people, when someone goes down for something, and that person is a Politician, it mainly means he or she pissed someone off and is being sacrificed as media fodder. Also... when is the last time real investigative reporters found something and went after someone... it is rare. Most of the crap we read is the machinations of the various parties playing chess with each move released to the media as "allegations" for us idiots to read and think that the govt. is actually properly policing itself. Yeah... I'm a cynic.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

rainman1Dec. 8  11:53 pm JST

For a whole 10 mill? If you’re going to ruin your name and career, then at least do it for a proper chunk of change.

I suspect most of the donors are owners of small and medium sized businesses in rural areas who aren't making a whole lot of money. They probably can't afford really big bribes, which is down to decades of LDP mismanagement.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Greed conquers all. Why are old Japanese male politicians synonymous with corruption?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Wow!!.......yet another corrupt politician, I am astounded........hold on, the shock is too much, I will have to lay down.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The last line of the article is hilarious.

Violation of the law's clause carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to five years or fines of up to 1 million yen upon conviction.

None of these guys are going to jail.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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