不起訴相当議決 首相は審査会の指摘に応えよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Apr. 28, 2010)
Hatoyama must answer inquest panel's questions
不起訴相当議決　首相は審査会の指摘に応えよ（4月27日付・読売社説）

An inquest panel recently decided it was appropriate for prosecutors not to indict Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama over false records of political donations compiled by his fund-management organization. However, Hatoyama should not mistakenly think this has allowed him to completely escape the scandal over falsified political donations. We would like to ask the prime minister to carefully read the report compiled by the Tokyo No. 4 Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution.
　鳩山首相は、検察審査会の「不起訴処分は妥当」の結論に、「これで逃げ切れた」などと勘違いしてはいけない。首相には議決書をじっくり読んでみてほしい。

Hatoyama continually said he knew nothing about the falsification of the political fund reports and the huge amount of money provided by his mother. However, the panel questioned this, saying the natural feeling of ordinary citizens was that such a situation was unthinkable. Most of the public will probably have the same doubts.
　政治資金収支報告書への虚偽記載と、母親からの巨額の資金提供を「知らなかった」と言い続ける首相に、審査会は「素朴な国民感情として、考えがたい」と疑問を呈した。国民の大多数が抱く疑念と同じだろう。

It is the prime minister's duty to answer that question as well as to explain the use of his political funds. This should be considered separately from whether he is criminally liable.
　資金の使途と合わせ、説明責任を果たすのは首相の義務であり、刑事責任とは別の問題である。

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Hatoyama's claim doubted

In its report, the panel explained what caused Hatoyama's former first state-funded secretary to begin falsifying the political fund reports.
　虚偽記載のきっかけについて、審査会は次のように認定した。

Hatoyama's organization became totally dependent on the prime minster's personal funds after donations from companies and labor unions to political fund management organizations were prohibited by law in 2000.
　２０００年に企業や労働組合などから資金管理団体への寄付が禁止され、首相の団体も首相個人の資金頼みの状態になった。

"Don't always rely on my money," Hatoyama was quoted as telling the former secretary. "I want you to raise funds on your own."
　首相は秘書に「いつも私のお金を頼るんじゃなくて、ちゃんと資金を集めろ」と苦言を呈した。

Hatoyama's complaint prompted the former secretary to start falsifying records of political donations by padding contributions from individuals and revenues from fund-raising parties, the report said.
そのため秘書が、個人献金やパーティー収入の水増し分の虚偽記載に走った、というものである。

Hatoyama told the former secretary to raise funds by himself, but the prime minister must have understood how difficult that would be.
　指示はしたものの、資金集めが容易ではないことくらい、首相もわかっていただろう。

Meanwhile, Hatoyama's provision of money to the fund organization has decreased drastically every year since his organization began receiving political funds of 15 million yen a month--180 million yen annually--from his own mother. Given these circumstances, Hatoyama's claim to have known nothing is hardly convincing, the panel said. This logic is strongly persuasive.
　一方で、母親から毎月１５００万円、年間１億８０００万円もの資金が入るようになって、首相個人の拠出額は年々、極端に減っていく。それなのに「知らなかった」では通るまい――。審査会のこの論法は実に説得力がある。

Also, some members of the public suspected the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office of giving special consideration to the government when it did not directly question Hatoyama and instead let him submit a written report about the issue.
　東京地検が首相本人の聴取をせず、上申書の提出で済ませたことも当時、政権に特別の配慮をしたのではないかと憶測を呼んだ。

Quite a few members of the inquest panel reportedly questioned the contents of Hatoyama's written report. In other words, they may have said prosecutors' investigations were insufficient.
　審査会では、上申書の内容そのものを疑う意見が少なからず出たという。裏返せば、地検の捜査不十分を指摘したのではないか。

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Panel seeks tougher law

It is also noteworthy that the panel proposed revisions of the current Political Funds Control Law, saying its provisions are very advantageous for politicians.
　今の政治資金規正法を「政治家に都合のよい規定」だとして、改正を求めた点にも着目したい。

Representatives of political fund organizations are held accountable for violations of the law if they do not pay proper attention to the appointment and supervision of the people responsible for the organizations' accounting. However, there must be neglect of not only one, but both appointment and supervision to constitute a violation.
　政治団体の代表者は、会計責任者の「選任及び監督」について注意を怠ると、規正法違反に問われる。しかし、どちらか一方ではなく両方であることが要件だ。

This is why the prime minister, who was found not to be at fault regarding the former secretary's appointment, was not charged with criminal liability.
　「選任」について問題なしとされた首相が、刑事責任を問われなかったのはこのためだ。

New Komeito has already submitted to the current Diet session a bill to revise the law so that people who neglect either appointment or supervision can be held criminally responsible. However, discussions on the bill have not proceeded very far because members of some parties feel it is too strict or that prosecutors would misuse the revised law.
　公明党は、どちらか一方を怠れば責任を問えるようにする改正案を国会に提出している。しかし、各党には「厳しすぎる」「検察が乱用する」といった異論もあり、議論は進んでいない。

It is common sense among ordinary people for superiors at private companies to take responsibility for supervising their subordinates, according to the panel.
　企業では部下の監督責任を上司が問われる。それが世間一般の常識だと審査会は言う。

We would like the panel's opinion to be applied to discussions about revising the law based on the will of the public.
民意を汲(く)んだ法改正論議につなげたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 27, 2010)
（2010年4月27日01時13分 読売新聞）