New National Tax Agency chief skips inaugural press conference

August 9, 2017

TOKYO- Japan's National Tax Agency said Tuesday that its new chief, Nobuhisa Sagawa, will not hold an inaugural press conference.

It is unusual for a new commissioner of the agency to skip such a news conference to address the person's plans to do in the post.

The agency did not elaborate on why, only saying that an organizational decision was made by taking into account various factors.

Sagawa came under fire for refusing to give clear explanations when he was a Finance Ministry bureau chief and grilled by opposition parties in the Diet over the questionable national land sale to scandal-tainted school operator Moritomo Gakuen.

Instead of holding a press conference, the agency released his comment saying he is honored to work at the long-established agency.

Sagawa probably feared that he could be grilled again over the land sale with a huge discount if he met the press, informed sources said.

Yasunori Kagoike, former Moritomo head, and his wife were arrested late last month for suspected swindling of state subsidies.

A press conference by a new tax agency chief has been held at least over a decade. Media organizations have repeatedly requested such an opportunity since Sagawa took office in July. Jiji Press