Posted on 11/24/2006 7:19:27 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Gangs face tougher rules in public bids
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The Finance Ministry has formulated new regulations that would bar individuals and firms linked to crime syndicates from participating in public auctions of state-owned land in hopes of preventing such property from being obtained by gangs, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned.
The regulations also are aimed at preventing such deals from providing crime organizations with means to earn money.
The ministry also has included a provision that would penalize successful bidders who sell plots of state land won in public auctions to parties linked to crime syndicates.
The government reportedly intends to remove crime syndicates from all the public works projects and other public contracted deals. These are the first specific antigang regulations drawn up by the government.
Ministry officials were pressured into offering for bid a plot of state land situated next to the house of a gang leader in Fukuoka Prefecture. A man believed to be a member of a crime organization and several other men who claimed to be lawmakers' secretaries reportedly intimidated the officials.
In the wake of the incident, uncovered in August by The Yomiuri Shimbun, the ministry began reviewing its rules regarding public auctions of state land. It reportedly discussed the matter with the National Police Agency and other relevant parties to prepare the antigang regulations.
According to sources, the ministry has established a provision that would disqualify groups designated as crime syndicates under the Antigang Law and those whom police authorities request be removed from a list of eligible participants. Those whom police authorities request be disqualified are likely to be people linked to companies operated by crime syndicates.
In addition, crime syndicates and those connected to the syndicates will be prohibited from using the land for 10 years after the land is auctioned. Therefore, successful bidders will not be allowed to rent or transfer ownership of the land to others in the knowledge it will be used by crime syndicates.
Successful bidders who violate these rules will be ordered to pay 30 percent of the price they paid for the land as a penalty. Furthermore, if they refuse a ministry investigation when a crime syndicate is suspected of using the land, the ministry also can order the bidders to pay 10 percent of the land price.
Aki Tsurumaki, a lawyer specializing in racketeering cases, said: "I welcome the ministry's move to introduce new regulations, but there are no unified regulations regarding crime syndicates and public auctions of public land, which is overseen by municipal governments. The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry should act as liaison and begin working out [its own] regulations on the matter."
(Nov. 24, 2006)
Ping!
The Yakuza will never permit these anti gang regulations to affect them, so what has really been accomplished here?
Nothing , as usual ..the status quo rules in sushiland ...
Japan * ping * (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)
They already are. In Japan the yakuza and the right wing fringe are one and the same.
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