Photo/Illutration Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows in apology at a news conference in the Diet building on Dec. 24. (Koichi Ueda)

About 20 years ago, a parking ticket made national news. It was issued to a popular singer for illegally parking his luxury car, but his assistant claimed responsibility for the violation.

After the truth came to light, the singer insisted, "Had I known, I would never have let my assistant take the fall for me."

His protestation was so unconvincing, it stuck in my mind.

The assistant was given a summary indictment and fined for concealing the offender's identity.

I couldn't help substituting the singer for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the assistant for Abe's top aide as I pondered the outcome of the Tokyo prosecutors' probe into the scandal over lavish banquets held on the eve of annual cherry blossom viewing parties hosted by the prime minister.

Abe's state-paid chief aide, known to have served the Abe family for years in its constituency in Yamaguchi Prefecture, was handed a summary indictment on Dec. 24 and fined 1 million yen ($9,600).

But Abe got off scot-free.

"What happened was done without my knowledge," the former prime minister said at a news conference later that day. "Had my aide and others told me what was really going on, matters would not have come to this." 

But he stumbled over his words from time to time while reading from a prepared text and his eyes kept shifting.

I recalled the confidence with which he used to field questions while he was in office.

"What I am telling you now is nothing but the truth," he asserted. "My every statement and response to questions, made in my capacity as the prime minister, carries responsibility." 

But he has been caught making an estimated 118 false statements at least, for which he did apologize. Still, as a public figure who should be leading by example, he cannot escape the grave responsibility of having prevaricated repeatedly in the Diet.

Did Abe's aide keep giving him false reports? Or did the aide offer to take the fall?

There's no way to know. But whichever it was, had this happened in any "normal" company, there is no doubt whatsoever that the president would be held accountable.

"I didn't know" is never an excuse.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 25

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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