Toshiyuki Takigawa

The faction, known as Heisei Kenkyukai (Heisei Study Group), had been headed by former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto until July, when the scandal forced him to quit.

Toshiyuki Takigawa, 55, allegedly violated the Political Funds Control Law by failing to promptly declare ¥100 million in political donations that Hashimoto received from the association in July 2001.

Hashimoto allegedly received the money from Sadao Usuda, former chairman of the group.

According to sources, Usuda, 73, and Hirotake Uchida, 63, a former director of the dental group, met Hashimoto at a Tokyo restaurant just weeks before the July 2001 Upper House election and handed him an envelope containing a ¥100 million check for the campaign.

Usuda has been quoted as telling prosecutors that two LDP heavyweights from the faction -- Hiromu Nonaka and Mikio Aoki -- were present at the meeting and confirmed that a ¥100 million check was transferred. Uchida meanwhile told prosecutors that although he repeatedly asked the faction for a receipt for the donation, it did not give him one.

Hashimoto has claimed he does not remember accepting the check.

Usuda and Uchida are standing trial on bribery charges.

The Japan Times Weekly: Sept. 4, 2004
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