遠山元議員、違法仲介認める　公庫、３７億円超融資―貸金業法違反・東京地裁

　登録を受けずに日本政策金融公庫の新型コロナウイルス対策融資を仲介したとして、貸金業法違反（無登録）罪に問われた元公明党衆院議員で元財務副大臣の遠山清彦被告（５２）の初公判が１４日、東京地裁（丹羽敏彦裁判長）であった。遠山被告は「間違いありません」と起訴内容を認めた上で、「政治不信を招いたことを深く反省している」と述べた。
　遠山被告の違法仲介について、検察側は公庫の貸付額が計約３７億２８００万円に上り、東北から九州まで１６都府県の計３４支店が関わっていたことを明らかにした。
　検察側は冒頭陳述で、公庫は融資の紹介者が国会議員やその秘書だった場合に審査手続きを迅速に進めるなど特別な対応をしていたと指摘。遠山被告はこうした公庫の対応を前提に、融資の仲介を繰り返したとした。
　２０２０年３月に公庫が始めた新型コロナ対策の特別貸し付けの需要急増を受け、秘書に対し、融資を希望する事業者の紹介依頼に業務として対応するよう指示した。仲介は被告が議員辞職した後も続き、謝礼として得た現金は投資信託の購入費用や生活費などに充てていたと主張した。
　検察側は、共に在宅起訴された太陽光発電関連会社「テクノシステム」元顧問の牧厚被告（７４）の捜査段階の供述調書も読み上げた。遠山被告に融資仲介を依頼したところ審査がスムーズに進んだとし、牧被告は「飛行機の搭乗口で多数の乗客が待つ中、ファーストクラスで（優先的に）乗り込むようなイメージだ」と説明したという。（2022/02/14-20:02）

Former Japanese lawmaker Kiyohiko Toyama admitted in court on Monday to illegally brokering loans without being registered as a moneylending service provider.
   "I deeply regret causing public distrust in politics," the 52-year-old former House of Representatives member from Komeito, the junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said in the first hearing of his trial at Tokyo District Court, admitting to charges of violating the moneylending control act.
   Prosecutors said that Toyama, who has served as state finance minister, used to broker loans from government-backed Japan Finance Corp. based on requests from his supporters several times a year. Following a surge in demand for JFC special loans introduced in March 2020 to support companies hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, Toyama ordered his secretaries to oversee which businesses wanted to receive such loans.
   The businesses were mainly introduced to Toyama by Atsushi Maki, 74, former adviser to solar power company Techno System, who has also been indicted for illegal loan brokering. Toyama used the commissions earned through the brokering to purchase investment trusts and pay living expenses, according to the prosecutors.
   The prosecutors also said that special treatment was given on some of the JFC loan deals in question depending on who acted as an intermediary. They said that deals brokered by lawmakers or their secretaries were handled at a special department at JFC's headquarters and were processed through a faster screening scheme.