Ex-Labor Minister Murakami on parole from prison term

Ex-Labor Minister Murakami on parole from prison term

UTSUNOMIYA, Japan - This undated file photo shows former Labor Minister Masakuni Murakami, who was released on parole on Oct. 28, 2009, before the end of his 26-month prison term for taking bribes in the late 1990s from a mutual aid organization for small and midsize businesses.

Murakami denies wrongdoing in sworn Diet testimony

Murakami denies wrongdoing in sworn Diet testimony

TOKYO, Japan - Former ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Masakuni Murakami reads aloud an oath at a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Feb. 28. Murakami was testifying as a sworn witness on allegations he received bribes from KSD, a mutual aid foundation, although he declined comment on the charges.

Ex-LDP heavyweight Murakami quits Diet over KSD scandal

Ex-LDP heavyweight Murakami quits Diet over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Japan - A post bearing the name of Masakuni Murakami, a senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party, lies on its side Feb. 26 at his seat in the House of Councillors in Tokyo. A plenary session of the upper house endorsed his resignation the same day. Murakami allegedly received 50 million yen in cash in 1996 from Tadao Koseki, head of KSD, a scandal-tainted mutual aid foundation.

LDP heavyweight Murakami to quit over KSD scandal

LDP heavyweight Murakami to quit over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Japan - Mikio Aoki, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party upper house caucus, speaks to reporters Feb. 22 on resignation offered earlier in the day by LDP upper house member Masakuni Murakami. The LDP heavyweight has been under fire over his links to scandal-hit mutual aid foundation KSD.

LDP heavyweight Murakami to quit Diet over scandal

LDP heavyweight Murakami to quit Diet over scandal

TOKYO, Japan - Ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweight member Masakuni Murakami (file photo) has decided to quit the House of Councillors over his links to scandal-hit mutual aid foundation KSD, from which he allegedly received massive financial support, LDP sources said Feb. 22. Murakami conveyed his decision to senior members of an LDP faction to which he belongs during a meeting the same day.

Murakami agrees to testify under oath over KSD scandal

Murakami agrees to testify under oath over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Japan - Masakuni Murakami, a former head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's House of Councillors members, agrees Feb. 5 to testify under oath over his ties to KSD, a mutual-aid foundation at the heart of a widening bribery scandal, LDP sources said. Opposition parties have been calling on Murakami to give sworn Diet testimony over his links to KSD, from which Murakami allegedly received huge financial support.

Takeyama elected head of LDP upper house group

Takeyama elected head of LDP upper house group

TOKYO, Japan - Yutaka Takeyama speaks after being elected leader of the assembly of House of Councillors members from the Liberal Democratic Party on Jan. 23. He succeeds Masakuni Murakami who quit last week over his ties with scandal-hit organization KSD. Takeyama, 67, who formerly headed the Science and Technology Agency, will lead the LDP delegation in the 252-seat upper chamber where the ruling party has 106 seats, short of a majority.

Murakami quits as LDP upper house chief over KSD scandal

Murakami quits as LDP upper house chief over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Jan. 15 Kyodo - Masakuni Murakami, a veteran member of the House of Councillors from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), leaves a room at the Diet building in Tokyo on Jan. 15 after resigning as head of the party's upper house group.

KSD's Koseki gets suspended term for bribery

KSD's Koseki gets suspended term for bribery

TOKYO, Japan - Tadao Koseki (L), founder and former head of KSD, a government-authorized foundation for small businesses, enters the Tokyo District Court on March 26 to hear the ruling in his bribery case. The court sentenced him to a three-year prison term, suspended for five years, for bribing former Labor Minister Masakuni Murakami and Takao Koyama, former member of the House of Councillors.

Murakami gets 2-year, 2-month prison term

Murakami gets 2-year, 2-month prison term

TOKYO, Japan - Former Labor Minister Masakuni Murakami (file photo) was sentenced by Tokyo District Court on May 20 to two years and two months in prison and fined 72.88 million yen on charges of taking bribes from KSD, an organization that provides industrial accident insurance to small businesses. (Kyodo)

Prison term upheld for ex-labor minister in KSD bribery case

Prison term upheld for ex-labor minister in KSD bribery case

TOKYO, Japan - The Tokyo High Court on Dec. 19 upholds a lower court ruling sentencing former Labor Minister Masakuni Murakami (file photo) to two years and two months in prison and fining him 72.8 million yen for taking bribes from KSD, an organization that provides industrial accident liability insurance to small businesses. (Kyodo)

Ex-Labor Minister Murakami on parole from prison term

Ex-Labor Minister Murakami on parole from prison term

UTSUNOMIYA, Japan - This undated file photo shows former Labor Minister Masakuni Murakami, who was released on parole on Oct. 28, 2009, before the end of his 26-month prison term for taking bribes in the late 1990s from a mutual aid organization for small and midsize businesses. (Kyodo)

(2)Murakami gets 2-year, 2-month prison term

(2)Murakami gets 2-year, 2-month prison term

TOKYO, Japan - Former Labor Minister Masakuni Murakami enters the Tokyo District Court on May 20. Murakami was sentenced to two years and two months in prison and fined 72.88 million yen for taking brribes from KSD, an organization providing industrial accident insurance to small businesses. (Kyodo)

Former Labor Minister Murakami released

Former Labor Minister Murakami released

TOKYO, Japan - Former Labor Minister Masakuni Murakami is released from a Tokyo detention facility after pleading not guilty in court July 2 to receiving 72 million yen in bribes from KSD, a mutual-aid foundation for small businesses, in return for asking a question in parliament to help KSD founder Tadao Koseki.

Ex-labor minister pleads not guilty to taking bribes from KSD

Ex-labor minister pleads not guilty to taking bribes from KSD

TOKYO, Japan - Former Labor Minister Masakuni Murakami (file photo) pleaded not guilty at the Tokyo District Court on July 2 to receiving 72 million yen in bribes from KSD, a mutual-aid foundation for small businesses.

Murakami arrested over KSD bribery case

Murakami arrested over KSD bribery case

TOKYO, Japan - Former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweight Masakuni Murakami (R in the photo taken in September 1996) was arrested on March 1 in connection with alleged bribetaking from scandal-tainted mutual aid foundation KSD. Shaking hands with Murakami at a Tokyo hotel is then KSD head Tadao Koseki.

Murakami denies wrongdoing in sworn Diet testimony

Murakami denies wrongdoing in sworn Diet testimony

TOKYO, Japan - Former ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Masakuni Murakami reads aloud an oath at a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Feb. 28. Murakami was testifying as a sworn witness on allegations he received bribes from KSD, a mutual aid foundation, although he declined comment on the charges.

Ex-LDP heavyweight Murakami quits Diet over KSD scandal

Ex-LDP heavyweight Murakami quits Diet over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Japan - A post bearing the name of Masakuni Murakami, a senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party, lies on its side Feb. 26 at his seat in the House of Councillors in Tokyo. A plenary session of the upper house endorsed his resignation the same day. Murakami allegedly received 50 million yen in cash in 1996 from Tadao Koseki, head of KSD, a scandal-tainted mutual aid foundation.

LDP heavyweight Murakami to quit over KSD scandal

LDP heavyweight Murakami to quit over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Japan - Mikio Aoki, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party upper house caucus, speaks to reporters Feb. 22 on resignation offered earlier in the day by LDP upper house member Masakuni Murakami. The LDP heavyweight has been under fire over his links to scandal-hit mutual aid foundation KSD.

Murakami agrees to testify under oath over KSD scandal

Murakami agrees to testify under oath over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Japan - Masakuni Murakami, a former head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's House of Councillors members, agrees Feb. 5 to testify under oath over his ties to KSD, a mutual-aid foundation at the heart of a widening bribery scandal, LDP sources said. Opposition parties have been calling on Murakami to give sworn Diet testimony over his links to KSD, from which Murakami allegedly received huge financial support.

Takeyama elected head of LDP upper house group

Takeyama elected head of LDP upper house group

TOKYO, Japan - Yutaka Takeyama speaks after being elected leader of the assembly of House of Councillors members from the Liberal Democratic Party on Jan. 23. He succeeds Masakuni Murakami who quit last week over his ties with scandal-hit organization KSD. Takeyama, 67, who formerly headed the Science and Technology Agency, will lead the LDP delegation in the 252-seat upper chamber where the ruling party has 106 seats, short of a majority.

Taiwan president-elect urges Japan to back railway project

Taiwan president-elect urges Japan to back railway project

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan President-elect Chen Shui-bian (L) hands over a book he authored to visiting Japanese lawmaker Masakuni Murakami on May 1 at his Taipei office. Chen indirectly urged Tokyo to lend political support to Taiwan's first high-speed railway project, which will use Japanese train technology. The project has been stalled by financial technicalities.