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田中前外相、秘書給与流用を否定
7月24日開かれた衆院政治倫理審査会で、田中真紀子前外相が公設秘書給与流用疑惑を否定した。しかし、一部給与の立て替え金が未払いだったことを認めた。今回の審査会で疑惑が払拭されたとは言い難い。
Tanaka denies misappropriation of funds despite continued suspicion
Former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka on July 24 categorically denied allegations she misappropriated the state-paid salaries of her secretaries.
Tanaka was speaking during a two-hour session of the House of Representatives Deliberative Council on Political Ethics.
"I want to make it clear that I have not done anything (as alleged in media reports)," Tanaka said in her opening statement. "Since I entrusted the family firm with the financial affairs of my secretaries, I had nothing to do with it."
However, she admitted that part of her secretaries' salaries for several months in 1998 were not settled by Echigo Kotsu Co. due to clerical errors. She said her support organization made up the payments in early July.
Echigo Kotsu, based in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, is a bus operator that the Tanaka family runs.
The council was also shown evidence that suggested Tanaka diverted the salaries of secretaries to pay her private aides in June 1996, and possibly did the same on other occasions.
Tanaka said the government-paid salaries of her secretaries were first delivered to Echigo Kotsu in unopened envelopes, adding the company properly dealt with the money by paying the secretaries.
Echigo Kotsu officials pooled the remaining amount, which was appropriated for various allowances at the end of the fiscal year, she said, stressing the bus company did not shoulder her secretaries' salaries.
According to Tanaka, the secretaries wanted to be sent on loan from Echigo Kotsu, as they otherwise risked losing their jobs if Tanaka was not re-elected.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said: "I only listened to part of the testimony, but I am under the impression that the suspicion still remains. She needs to behave sincerely to clear the air."
Shukan ST: Aug. 2, 2002
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- misappropriation
- 不正流用
- suspicion
- 疑惑
- categorically
- 断固として
- allegations
- 申し立て
- state-paid
- 国が支給する
- House of Representatives Deliberative Council on Political Ethics
- 衆院政治倫理審査会
- opening statement
- 冒頭の言明
- entrusted 〜 with 〜
- 〜を〜に任せていた
- family firm
- ファミリー企業
- financial affairs
- 財務
- were not settled
- 未清算だった
- clerical errors
- 事務上の手違い
- support organization
- 後援団体
- made up
- 埋め合わせた
- diverted
- 流用した
- private aides
- 私設秘書
- unopened envelopes
- 未開封の封書
- pooled
- プールした
- remaining amount
- 残額
- was appropriated for 〜
- 〜に充てられた
- allowances
- 手当
- fiscal year
- 会計年度
- shoulder
- 肩代わりする
- be sent on loan
- 出向扱いにされる
- testimony
- 証言
- am under the impression that 〜
- 〜と感じている
- clear the air
- 疑いを晴らす