THE JAPAN NEWS


 

Defense Minister Tomomi Inada on Tuesday admitted her involvement in a civil court case filed by educational corporation Moritomo Gakuen and corrected her Monday statement denying it.

Speaking at Tuesday’s plenary session of the House of Representatives, Inada said she had appeared at a court hearing of a civil case filed by Moritomo Gakuen, representing the Osaka-based corporation. The minister then corrected the response she gave at Monday’s House of Councillors Budget Committee meeting, in which she denied any involvement in the Moritomo-related court case.

On Monday she said, “I have never accepted any case related to Moritomo Gakuen, or started a lawsuit or given them legal advice.” She also denied that she served as a consulting lawyer for the entity, saying, “It is not true.”

However, some media outlets have reported the existence of records showing that Inada appeared at the court hearing in question in 2004.

On Tuesday morning, Inada told an LDP director of the upper house Budget Committee, “As the trial record exists, I remembered it wrong. I must withdraw my [past] statement and apologize.”

Inada also said “it might be true” that a law firm jointly operated by her and her husband had an advisory contract with Moritomo Gakuen, according to the LDP director, who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting of Budget Committee directors.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Inada said, “I have no recollection whatsoever [that I appeared in a Moritomo Gakuen-related court hearing].”

“If any record indicates [I did appear], I imagine I might have done so on behalf of my husband, who could not make it,” she added.

“My response [on Monday] was based on my memory, so I don’t consider it a false statement. I don’t see any need to take responsibility for this case,” Inada said, stressing she had no intention to resign.