The arrest Monday of Tokushima Prefecture Gov. Toshio Endo on bribery charges is a reminder that an old habit -- using political influence for monetary gain -- dies hard. Tokyo prosecutors say he received 8 million yen from a Tokyo-based consultancy for the role he had played in securing a public works contract for a client constructor in the prefecture.
The story sounds all too familiar. It is connections, as well as cash, that lure politicians. Mr. Endo, a former Transport Ministry bureaucrat, became acquainted with the manager of the consulting firm, Mr. Mitsuro Ozaki, who was at the time an official secretary to a parliamentary vice transport minister. Mr. Ozaki was arrested in January.
In the background lurks the picture of a Diet member meddling in public works projects at both national and local levels of government. It is a recurring picture that suggests that graft may be deeply embedded in the nation's political and economic systems. If so, drastic reform is needed to eliminate its causes. Peddling political influence for private gain is a serious crime that obstructs normal political activity and distorts the administration of public policy.