検証委、副大臣トップ見直し　「全て第三者で」―武田総務相

　武田良太総務相は１２日、同省幹部が利害関係者から接待を受けた問題の行政への影響を調べる検証委員会に関し、新谷正義副大臣をトップとする当初の構想を見直し、元検事ら第三者のみで構成する方針を明らかにした。同日の閣議後記者会見で「総務省の役人は原則入らず、全て第三者で立ち上げるのがいいのではないか」と述べた。
　検証委の調査対象には、総務相在任中にＮＴＴ側と会食していた自民党の高市早苗氏や野田聖子幹事長代行ら歴代政務３役も含めることを検討。武田氏は「政務３役経験者の取り扱いも含め、有識者の意見を聞きながら検討を進めたい」と語った。
　また、週刊文春で、公設秘書がＮＴＴ側と会食していたと報じられた新谷氏について、武田氏は「秘書が会食した事実は確認できた。新谷さんは（会食の誘いを）最初からお断りしたと聞いている」と説明した。（2021/03/12-10:09）

Japan's communications minister Ryota Takeda unveiled a plan Friday to have only third-party members comprise a committee to investigate whether the wining and dining of senior communications ministry officials by interested companies affected public administration.
   This means a shift away from the ministry's initial plan to have Masayoshi Shintani, state minister for communications, head the investigation panel, whose establishment was decided following the revelation of the dining scandal involving the ministry and companies including Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. . The third-party members to be making up the panel will likely include former prosecutors.
   Past ministers, state ministers and parliamentary vice ministers are expected to be among those to be covered by the panel's probe. Such people include Seiko Noda, executive acting secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and Sanae Takaichi, an LDP lawmaker in the House of Representatives. The two admitted that they dined with the NTT side when they served as communications minister.
   Takeda told a press conference that he will consider the matter, including what to do with past officials who have filled the three highest posts in the communications ministry, while seeking advice from experts.
   On a Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine report that said a state-paid secretary of Shintani dined with the NTT side, Takeda said the ministry has confirmed that the secretary joined the dinner in question.