A specific company, such as the public interest incorporated foundation "I'm Japan = International Human Resources Development Organization", which is the largest accepting organization for foreign technical intern trainees in Japan, preferentially orders goods from companies run by acquaintances of the former chairman. An investigation by a third-party committee revealed that there was a suspicion that the company was conducting a transaction that violated the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Certification Law, which prohibited the provision of profits to.
The total amount of transactions amounted to nearly 600 million yen, and the Cabinet Office, which supervises public interest corporations, set out to investigate, saying that "we have to have serious doubts."
The former chairman insisted in an interview with NHK that "there is no recognition that it has benefited a particular vendor."
"I'm Japan = International Human Resources Development Organization", a public interest incorporated foundation in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, is the largest accepting organization for foreign technical intern trainees in Japan, established in 1991. Guidance costs are the main source of revenue.
NHK has obtained a research report compiled last year by a third-party committee made up of outside lawyers.
According to it, I'm Japan will give priority to the company run by a female acquaintance of former chairman and former Ministry of Labor OB Mr. Kyoei Yanagisawa (77) and the company introduced by this acquaintance for about 9 years until the end It means that he was ordering goods and business.
Specifically, contrary to the internal rules of general competitive bidding, all contracts were made voluntarily, and only some executives made decisions without going through the department in charge. The former chairman once instructed the staff to add an acquaintance's company.
We ordered various items such as personal computers, jumpers, and foliage plants, and the total transaction amount in nine years was over 590 million yen.
According to the survey report, the former chairman had a close relationship with this acquaintance, such as going out for meals and golf on a regular basis.
The former chairman retired in December due to poor physical condition, but a third-party committee said that these transactions were "due to the instructions or intentions of the former chairman with tremendous power," to certain companies. It points out that it violates the Public Interest Corporation Certification Law, which prohibits acts that give special benefits.
In response to this, the Cabinet Office, which supervises public interest corporations, has launched an investigation to understand the actual situation, saying that "we have to have serious doubts."
The former chairman told NHK that "I left the individual contracts to the director in charge. I never ordered priority orders and there is no recognition that I have benefited a specific contractor." I will.
On the other hand, I'm Japan stated that there was "generally no misunderstanding" about the investigation report, and said, "Based on the indications, we will eliminate transactions with companies run by acquaintances of the former chairman and enhance the audit system. We are implementing improvement measures. "
What is I'm Japan
"I'm Japan = International Human Resources Development Organization" was established in 1991 and is the largest host organization for foreign technical intern trainees in Japan. Ten years ago, it became a public interest incorporated foundation.
According to the website, there are more than 300 staff members, and there are 20 bases in total including overseas.
There are seven full-time directors, including the chairman, including alumni of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Ministry of Justice, which have jurisdiction over the technical intern training program for foreigners.
I'm Japan has signed agreements with the governments of five Asian countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam, and is the only country in Japan that accepts trainees sent directly from the governments of each country.
The trainees will be assigned to about 2000 member companies nationwide after receiving training in Japanese for about 5 months.
The total number of trainees accepted so far has exceeded 60,000, and currently about 10,000 are staying in Japan.
The financial resources are the guidance expenses of trainees collected from member companies, and according to the financial results report, the profit in 2019 is about 3.94 billion yen, and the "general net property increase / decrease", which is the net profit of general companies, is 210 million yen. It's climbing too much.
Public interest incorporated foundations have tax incentives and are exempt from tax on businesses for public interest purposes.
What is former Chairman Yanagisawa?
Former Chairman Kyoei Yanagisawa was originally from the Ministry of Labor, joined I'm Japan in 1993, and after serving as chairman, became the top chairman for about nine years from 2011 to December, when he became a public interest incorporated foundation. Served.
According to the survey report, he was able to take full advantage of his personal connections at the time when he was enrolled in the former Ministry of Labor, and at the same time, he was able to demonstrate his skills by directly negotiating with VIPs from overseas governments and taking care of all of his work.
Former Chairman Yanagisawa "There is no recognition that gave special benefits to a specific contractor."
Regarding the contents of the survey report, former chairman Yanagisawa insists that "there is no recognition that he has given a special benefit to a specific contractor" in an interview with NHK.
Of these, regarding the point that he preferentially ordered goods and business from companies run by acquaintances, the former chairman said, "It is a fact that there were many free contracts as a result." In the case that applies to the exception of, I think that there is no problem. Also, I leave the individual contracts to the director in charge, and I have not instructed to place a priority order. Because the estimated price of the acquaintance's company was low As a result, the number of orders has increased. "
On the other hand, I'm Japan told the interview that there was "generally no misunderstanding" about the investigation report, and that the series of transactions violated the Public Interest Corporation Certification Law, "it lacks fairness and the scale of the transaction is large. It is true that it was big, but I could not confirm how much profit the company run by the acquaintance of the former chairman was making, and I did not recognize that it was a "special profit". "
After that, he commented, "Based on the indications in the report, we have dissolved all transactions with this company since April last year. We are implementing improvement measures such as improving the compliance system and improving the audit system." I am.
Priority ordering A company run by a female acquaintance of the former chairman
According to a survey report by a third-party committee, I'm Japan prioritized orders for goods and other items from a total of five joint-stock companies and public interest incorporated foundations in Tokyo.
Three of them were former chairman's acquaintance women in their 50s who served as president and representative director, and the other two were introduced to I'm Japan by this acquaintance.
The largest amount of transactions is a corporation that sells employment placement services and drinking water, whose president is an acquaintance, and the total amount of transactions has reached more than 460 million yen in nine years.
According to the survey report, it was confirmed that the former chairman usually went out to eat and play golf with his acquaintance, and also rented a room in an apartment in the city center owned by his acquaintance.
In addition, when visiting overseas, he sometimes bought products from an acquaintance's company and brought them as souvenirs.
Regarding the relationship with acquaintances, the former chairman told the interview, "Meals and golf are about several times a year, and the cost is 50-50. The apartment room also pays a considerable rent according to social conventions, and the special relationship is No. "
In addition, an acquaintance commented to the interview through an attorney-at-law, "It is an internal problem of a public interest incorporated foundation, and there is no problem in trying to receive many orders as a for-profit company."
Expert "A fairly sloppy order was repeated"
Regarding the survey results of the third-party committee, Professor Shukutoku University's professor Kagami, who is familiar with the system of public interest corporations, said, "As you can see from the survey report, it can be seen that quite sloppy orders were repeated. It receives tax incentives under the approval of the government, and is the same as a subsidy in terms of state support. Therefore, public interest and fairness must be guaranteed, and it is special for specific companies. It should not be profitable, and given the years of improper trading, it must be said that there are problems with the governance and compliance of the organization. The Cabinet Office needs to actively supervise such "traders in the name of public interest corporations", including the cancellation of certification. "
To investigate based on the contents of the Cabinet Office committee report
In response to the investigation report, the "Public Interest Commission, etc." of the Cabinet Office, which supervises public interest corporations, sent a document requesting a report on a series of circumstances to I'm Japan in March.
The Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Law stipulates that public interest incorporated foundations contribute to the promotion of the interests of an unspecified number of people, and the act of giving special interests to specific companies is prohibited.
According to the documents obtained by NHK, the Cabinet Office stated that I'm Japan "on the financial basis and technical capabilities necessary to carry out public utilities, including the subsequent response to the provision of special benefits to specific commercial corporations. , I have to have serious doubts. "
Then, in addition to whether there was a recognition that the series of transactions violated the Public Interest Corporation Certification Law, why the board could not supervise the situation where the authority was concentrated on the former chairman, the problem was raised in the investigation report. While being pointed out, he does not ask the former chairman to take responsibility, and asks for a report on why the retirement allowance exceeding 30 million yen is paid.
In response to this, I'm Japan has already responded in writing, so whether the Cabinet Office will proceed with the investigation based on the contents and take measures such as "recommendations" for drastic improvement of management. I will judge.