Slush Fund Lawmakers Urged to Attend Diet Ethics Panel

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)--Tetsuo Saito, new leader of Komeito, the coalition partner of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Saturday urged lawmakers involved in the LDP's high-profile slush fund scandal to appear before a political ethics panel of the Diet, the country's parliament.

At a meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, also LDP president, Saito said, "I want you to sort out the issue in a way that convinces the public."

"Those involved in the slush fund scandal have not attended a Diet political ethics committee meeting or given any explanations, so they have not fulfilled their responsibilities," Saito told reporters after the meeting with Ishiba.

Ishiba told Saito at the meeting that he is thinking about the matter in detail.

In talks with reporters later, Ishiba said: "We must act by taking the issue seriously. We'll consider (how to respond) within the LDP as soon as possible."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]