Japan Political Funds Linked to Scandal
TOKYO — Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and nine other Japanese politicians received a total of $685,000 in donations from groups linked to a bribery scandal, a national newspaper said Thursday.
Without citing its sources, the Mainichi Shimbun said Hashimoto’s two political organizations received $41,000 between 1990 and 1993 from the groups, which are linked to a nursing home developer who is accused of bribing Health Ministry officials.
Hashimoto said he had done nothing improper in accepting the money, but nonetheless he ordered an investigation.
Mainichi said the political organizations of Health and Welfare Minister Junichiro Koizumi had also received $40,300 from the groups, set up by the Japan Hospital Bedclothes Assn. and the Japan Medical Meals Assn. Both groups are headed by Shiro Murata, a shareholder in the J.W.M. Co. founded by nursing home developer Hiroshi Koyama.
Koyama was arrested Monday on charges of bribing a former Health Ministry official to win approval and subsidies to operate nursing homes.
The newspaper said eight other politicians also received money from the groups.
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