Japanese Question 2 Elected Officials in Recruit Scandal

Prosecutors today questioned elected officials for the first time who are suspects in the influence-peddling scandal that has caused a rash of resignations and damaged public confidence in Japanese politics.

The list of disgraced party leaders also grew as the chairman of the opposition Komeito, or Clean Government Party, said he would resign.

Junya Yano is the third party head to announce his resignation because of the scandal, following Prime Minister Norobu Takeshita as president of the governing Liberal Democrats and Saburo Tsukamoto of the Democratic Socialists.

Takeshita remains in office while the Liberal Democrats search for a leader and a prime minister who is respected and untainted by the scandal, which has decimated the top ranks of politicians in Japan.

Disruption Disappointing

Takako Doi, head of the opposition Japan Socialist Party, said the disruption in Komeito was disappointing at a time she is trying to hold together an opposition coalition to oust the Liberal Democrats.

“I hope Komeito will go ahead and unite with the Socialists, overcoming the latest trials,” Doi said.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, summoned two Parliament members for questioning. They said the lawmakers were suspected of accepting bribes in return for helping the Recruit Co. in its business of employment information.

Prosecutors say the conglomerate sought favors by selling cut-price stock in a subsidiary to about 160 politicians, bureaucrats and business and media executives.

The buyers earned handsome profits after the shares went on sale to the public in 1986 and the price shot up.

Prosecutors have charged 14 people with violations of bribery and securities laws, but until today all the official suspects in the scandal were businessmen or civil servants.

Liberal Democrat Takao Fujinami, 56, who served as chief Cabinet secretary for three years under former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, was ordered to one prosecutor’s office, and Komeito legislator Katsuya Ikeda, 51, was called to another.

By Japanese legal custom, the summoning was equivalent to arrest, but since Parliament is in session the prosecutors could not jail the two lawmakers without permission of the Parliament.