politics

Sagawa says he got no instructions from Abe or Aso to alter land sale documents

49 Comments
By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Kaori Kaneko

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49 Comments
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He’ll be nicely taken care of

25 ( +27 / -2 )

Well there we go then. Case closed.

"But what abou-"

CASE. CLOSED.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

I would prefer Abe resign, but the opposition has to be very careful here not to push it too far. There is no proof of anything here indicating Abe so the opposition is risking permanent disgrace if this turns out to be nothing. I would advise they tread carefully and wait for proper evidence instead of predetermining guilt like a hysterical lynch mob might

8 ( +13 / -5 )

How much Yen does 30 pieces of silver currently fetch?

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Sagawa: "Also, I want to add that I was not paid to be the scape-- errr.. I am being honest of my own volition. Nothing at all prompted this. No promise of power positions later. I was not instructed to do this. Why am I doing it? Ummm.... no comment because it's under investigation."

7 ( +8 / -1 )

The LDP is corrupt to the core. It is destroying this country slowly but surely. Abe and Aso are horrible leaders and need to both resign immediately for their crimes. The risk is whoever comes next is worse, but that is hard to imagine. Abe is really, really bad for this country.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

I would prefer Abe resign

Sure me too, but who would be PM in that case? Aso? That would be worse (he already was PM once) I am afraid it would be one of the LDP clowns like the worthless Nikai guy which would probably be worse than Abe. Could you imagine if Nikai or Suga became PM? Noooooooooooo

At least with Abe you know he is a buffoon but you know what he will do.

There is NOBODY in the opposition parties that would make me feel more comfortable than currently...

6 ( +13 / -7 )

He is literally reading a script!!

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Akie must testify

6 ( +6 / -0 )

This hasn't really cleared up that much, ie. who actually altered the documents, etc. Who is actually investigating this?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

OK.

Wow!

Fact 1: He admitted the documents were altered,

Fact 2: SOMEONE ordered it. But he won't say who.

So, who ordered him to alter it? And if it wasn't Abe or Abe's wife or Aso, then who?? And who ordered THAT person to order him to do it!

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Of course as expected a meek and pointless display.

Contrary to some posters beliefs, nothing was resolved at all - the least being the truth.

Sagawa repeatedly refused to answer questions with the "I might incriminate myself" let out.

And the pathetic "fake hard questioning" by LDP muppet Marukawa was too much to watch.

The end to this is so far away, and we haven't even begun on the Kake Gakuen scandal which involves favoritism to Abe's Best Mate to the tune of millions.

All coincidences - hardly.

Sontaku never looked so strong.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Finally truth from Nobuhisa Sagawa has come out in his oath statement before Diet .

What truth? According to the news last night, he replied with the, "I can't answer because of a possible criminal investigation" over 40 times.

Where is the "truth" in that? To me, if he truly had nothing to hide, and he is no longer working for the ministry, he should have answered.

He ended up leaving more questions in the public's mind than before he testified, and now it's going to put pressure on Abe to have his wife testify too!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Maybe they did not give direct orders to change them, but this does not free them of any responsibility either. They both had to be aware of the shoddy details of this deal and they ignored it.

3 ( +15 / -12 )

There is a overriding concern, politically, reaching into to the heart of a system that defines representative democratic government.

Take a closer look., Abe LDP ruling governments ridged sectionalism, through the Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs, has to complicit in the falsification, doctoring of official documents.

Add in, an overriding facilitator with the capability to influence legislative, executive, and judicial levels of government/governance. Whose tentacle reach local public administrations.

The electorate need to decide on a genuine democracy, or the toxic poisonous political puppetry of the japan conference nippon kaigi.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

But the ministry of finances admitted altering the documents. Did the institution itself gained sentience and took the responsibility instead of the people acting inside it? Sounds a decent excuse for Japanese standards.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

So who gave the instructions? Or did Sagawa just do it on a whim?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I think the documents altered themselves. That's the most logical conclusion.

2 ( +15 / -13 )

They should ask him how much Suga has paid out from his slush fund to keep quiet.

2 ( +14 / -12 )

Falling on his sword to protect his master

2 ( +9 / -7 )

It's time Sagawa was arrested and put in jail until he tells the truth. How is it that Kagoike has been in jail for months yet Sagawa is still walking around telling lies?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Because is Sagawa is convicted, he will go out guns blazing and give up all the dirt Abe and Gang had him do in the previous years. Rats have mouths too, captain is afraid of losing them.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Really?

1 ( +6 / -5 )

He quit his job after the man involved killed himself, now claims no government involvement, is the death on him? Did he pressure an underling to sell the land cheep? Change documents? Now won't give an explanation because he might be charged? Bizarre situation.

1 ( +12 / -11 )

The worst piece of Muppet Show the Japanese Politics had to offer lately.

What did we get here ? a half-chewed-bone, with parts blacked out & rewritten by the his masters. Are we happy now, is it solved ? Nope.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

His words have no weight behind them. He already lied to everyone.

Today's testimony was a total waste of time.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Tamayo Marukawa of LDP questioning items were only to protect PM Abe's wife Akie. All the questions were to Sagawa say no Akie's involvement(s), and who the hell believes it!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

that must have been one big brown envelope!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

When LDP lawmaker asked about PM Abe's wife Akie involvement, he said nothing of that was occurred. So, why her name was erased? It's like "Save the Queen" Akie.

0 ( +11 / -11 )

Matt HartwellMar. 27  12:08 pm JST

You are an asset to Asia and Japan at this time.

I can think of another word for him that uses two of the same letters as "asset," which is the last word I would use to describe him. I accept that he occasionally proposes doing things that sound quite good, but none of those ever get done. When the question of what he has actually achieved is asked, no one seems to be able to provide a sufficient answer.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No surprises

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

It's painfully obvious he's lying, as there would be no conceivable, nor logical reason he would randomly choose THIS document to alter.

-1 ( +16 / -17 )

He was testifying under oath so if he's lying charge him with perjury, but of course that won't happen because he is not lying

Did you actually READ the article? Wait, I already know the answer, NO!

I would like to refrain from answering because there is a risk of criminal prosecution," he said.

-1 ( +12 / -13 )

suuuure

poll numbers should keep dropping

-2 ( +12 / -14 )

Hands up who is falling for this?

there is no way on this Gods earth that Abe is going to resign or be pushed out the door. 2020 is just around the corner and even if Abe was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, somebody will throw themselves under the bus for him.

Step forward...Me Sagawa.

-2 ( +11 / -13 )

He was testifying under oath so if he's lying charge him with perjury, but of course that won't happen because he is not lying. The opposition must be quite proficient now at grasping at non-existent straws

-3 ( +17 / -20 )

Case settled then. So what else does the opposition have or are they still trying to waste all our time with this garbage?

-4 ( +11 / -15 )

DarmstadtToday 12:46 pm JST

Case settled then.

Did you miss this bit?

Sagawa declined to comment on motives for altering the documents because he is a subject of investigations into the matter.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

I think this supposed "issue" is over now. Until of course the bitter ones of society can find something else to get upset over. I'm guessing next will be anti-whaling or animal rights or voting rights for foreigners or some other silliness

-5 ( +12 / -17 )

Maybe he kept falling asleep and the magic marker hit Akie’s name every time.

Seriously though I do not see why he could not have made the decision to erase stuff himself. Maybe he did not really like or trust the smarmy Moritomo Gakuin crew and felt it was better to erase all personal references from the documents, just to be safe. Playing safe is a great game here, better than cricket, the straighter the face and the fewer the words the better.

-5 ( +7 / -12 )

A lot of "case settled - move on" poster(s) popping up out of the blue.

I'm of the, "of course they didn't directly tell him, hey Sagawa, be a pal and have those documents doctored." Even in normal Japanese conversation directions are rarely explicitly stated, though the intention and direction is clear. So he may well be able to say he go not instructions but I'm sure he got enough hints to know what needed to be taken care of.

-5 ( +9 / -14 )

In the Diet Kabuki the LDP's cunning plan has been to deploy "charming" Ms. Marukawa Tamayo, the cabinet "bijin", ( being groomed for future PM role should the party in future find itself in a desperate situation?) to lob orchestrated softball questions to Sagawa. As one opposition pol summed it up: Sagawa's testimony is like a lizard losing its tail and his performance smells like deliberate collusion to obfuscate, or, in my view, like a squid squirting ink into the eyes of a gullible public. The opposition will surely keep on snapping at Abe's heels, but this slippery eel will wriggle his way out without concrete proof. Still, the legal ramifications of the scandal remain to be seen.

-5 ( +8 / -13 )

A new invention!

Magic self altering documents that conveniently self alter at the whiff of an investigation or a politicians prescient dreaming.

The deluxe documents have a built in vaporization function and are triggered by the word scandal being uttered within 20 meters.

On sale at the entrance to every ministry in the Kasumigaseki district!

Buy today!

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Ever since Abe shook hands with trump, he has become more like trump!

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Finally truth from Nobuhisa Sagawa has come out in his oath statement before Diet .

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Hold the course Abe, hold the course. You are an asset to Asia and Japan at this time.

-9 ( +16 / -25 )

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