Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Takeshita denies seeking mob help Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 15:00:28 EST Message-ID: Lines: 26 \SE A;TOP OF THE NEWS;WORLD \HD Takeshita denies seeking mob help \BY FROM WIRE DISPATCHES AND STAFF REPORTS \DT TOKYO TOKYO - Former Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita said yesterday he had not sought help from the boss of a major crime syndicate to stop a harassment campaign against him by a rightist group in 1987, when he was seeking the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Mr. Takeshita said he had not known of the approach made by Hiroyasu Watanabe, former president of Tokyo Sagawa Kyubin Co., to Susumu Ishii, the late leader of the Inagawa-kai crime syndicate, to stop the harassment by the small right-wing group Nihon Kominto. Mr. Takeshita, testifying as a sworn witness at a session of the House of Representatives' Budget Committee, said Mr. Watanabe was "one of many well-intentioned third parties." Tokyo Sagawa Kyubin, a now-defunct trucking firm, is at the center of a scandal involving illegal political donations. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM