Kanju Sato

Sato's wife, Miyoko, 52, is believed to have overseen financial accounts for the 62-year-old Sato. The third person arrested by the Aichi Prefectural Police was Seiki Asada, a close associate of Sato who allegedly arranged to have his wife's name registered as the secretary.

Sato was a veteran lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Japan from Aichi Prefecture who once served as home affairs minister and chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, which oversees the police.

On March 5, he was expelled from the party and his resignation from the Diet was accepted.

According to sources, the salary intended for Asada's wife was deposited in several bank accounts managed by Sato's wife, who was also registered as a government-paid secretary for Sato around the same time as the other woman.

This is the fifth case of a lawmaker allegedly embezzling government funds intended for their secretaries. It follows that of Kiyomi Tsujimoto, a former Social Democratic Party lawmaker who last month was given a suspended prison term for embezzlement.

The Japan Times Weekly: March 13, 2004
(C) All rights reserved