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Indicted lawmaker Nishimura has no intention of resigning+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)OSAKA, Jan. 16_(Kyodo) _ Lawmaker Shingo Nishimura, who was arrested and indicted late last year for receiving remuneration by illegally allowing an unqualified employee to provide attorney services in his name, has no intention of resigning from his post, informed sources said Monday. The 57-year-old lawmaker in the House of Representatives will announce the decision as early as Tuesday after consulting with his supporters, the sources said. The lawyer-turned-politician, who was ousted from the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, has been engaged in the activities of a nonpartisan group tackling the North Korean abduction of Japanese citizens, and said before his arrest on Nov. 28 that he wanted to focus on fulfilling his duties as a lawmaker to deal with the issue. He was released after his arrest on 30 million yen bail. Nishimura is believed to have decided to remain on as a lawmaker in order to deal with the abduction issue, the sources said. The lawmaker was indicted Dec. 18 on charges of allowing Koji Suzuki, a 52-year-old former employee at his law office, to practice law even though he did not have a license, which made it a violation of the Attorneys Law. He also faced an additional charge on Dec. 28 of receiving remuneration by illegally allowing Suzuki to provide attorney services in his name, making him the first Diet member to be indicted on charges of violating the Organized Crime Offenses Law. DPJ President Seiji Maehara said, "I haven't heard about it (Nishimura's intention not to step down). I will check into it through (the party's) Osaka branch." After registering as a lawyer with the Osaka Bar Association in 1985, Nishimura won a lower house seat for the first time in 1993. The lawmaker, known for his hawkish stance and remarks, including ones calling for Japan's nuclear armament, is serving his fifth term. |