Tokyo (CNN)An educator accused of using his clout to curry favor with Japanese politicians,
including the first family, told lawmakers under oath Thursday that he believes political intervention
helped him secure a deal to purchase land from the government.
Yasunori Kagoike was called in to testify about his Moritomo Gakuen group's land purchase
from the government in June. The group, which runs schools in Japan, paid one-seventh
the price of the plot's assessed value, according to a public copy of the land sale.
More than $7 million was lopped off for waste removal, a discount that raised eyebrows
throughout the country.
Kagoike, who has been accused of promoting extreme nationalist views, appeared in parliament
to answer lawmakers' questions over whether he used his connections with some right-leaning
politicians -- including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe -- to secure the discount for Moritomo Gakuen.
Moritomo Gakuen planned to build a school on the site.
Kagoike said he believes there was some sort of political intervention in the transaction
because the process started moving quicker once he began asking for help.
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http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/22/asia/japan-school-scandal/
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