School operator makes donation claim

PM's wife asked for money to be kept quiet, parliament told in testimony

The head of a controversial education institute that is at the center of a political storm and accusations of hate speech claims he received a donation from the Japanese prime minister's wife and was then asked to hush it up.

Yasunori Kagoike, head of the Osaka-based school operator Moritomo Gakuen, made the claim during his testimony to Japan's parliament on Thursday.

Kagoike was called to appear as part of an investigation into accusations of impropriety during a government land deal and allegations that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made donations to the operator.

Abe has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Kagoike told the parliament, also known as the Diet, that he received a donation of 1 million yen ($8,980) from Abe's wife, Akie, in 2015.

He said Akie Abe gave him an envelope containing the money at a nationalist kindergarten run by Moritomo Gakuen during one of her three visits there.

The kindergarten was later accused of disseminating hate speech against Korean and Chinese people in its curriculum.

"She said, 'Please, this is from Shinzo Abe,'" Kagoike said in his testimony.

The alleged donation was supposed to help Moritomo Gakuen build an elementary school, which was due to open in April. However, under intense public scrutiny over the land the education institution had purchased at a controversially disproportionate discount, Kagoike dropped the school plan.

The school was originally named "Shinzo Abe Memorial School". Akie Abe was made its honorary principal but she resigned after the scandal flared.

Moritomo Gakuen was given a favorable deal from the government for the land - one-sixth of the appraised price.

Kagoike said after the land purchase was raised as an issue at the parliament, his wife received an email from Akie saying, "I hope that you understand that my husband has now become involved in this very troubling matter".

Kagoike added that his wife received another email from Akie that could be taken as instructions not to say anything that could lead to suspicions of political string-pulling over the land deal.

For weeks, the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeitohad refused to summon Kagoike and senior officials at the Finance Ministry involved in the sale to answer questions.

Last Thursday Kagoike told a group of lawmakers investigating the land deal in Osaka that he had received a donation from Abe via his wife.

Abe's denials prompted lawmakers to summon Kagoike to clarify the matter under sworn testimony, meaning a witness can be charged with perjury if he or she makes a false statement under oath.

Hidenori Sakota, head of the Finance Ministry's bureau at the time of the land sale will appear in the Diet on Friday.

Abe is also scheduled to attend, according to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.

caihong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/24/2017 page12)