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A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 20 december 2018

Japan wants Seoul's political decision on forced labor row

By MARI YAMAGUCHI companies to compensate negotiate compensation
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's top Korean plaintiffs who were by Christmas Eve. Tokyo
diplomat said Wednesday forced to work at factories has urged Seoul to seek
that South Korea's govern- and mines during Japan's ways to protect Japanese
ment taking action to re- colonial rule of the Kore- companies from financial
solve a legal dispute stem- an Peninsula. The court in damage.
ming from South Korean October ordered Nippon The recent rulings in South
court rulings on forced la- Steel & Sumitomo Metal Korea are threatening to
bor during Japanese co- Corp. to pay 100 million undermine relations with
lonial rule is emerging as a won ($87,680) each to four Japan, which has argued
key diplomatic priority. plaintiffs for their wartime that the issue of forced la-
Foreign Minister Taro Kono forced labor at the com- borers was settled when
said in a speech on the pany. The court made simi- Tokyo and Seoul signed a
country's diplomatic out- lar rulings on another com- treaty in 1965 that restored
look that the dispute rep- pany, Mitsubishi Heavy In- diplomatic ties and had
resents deteriorating ties Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono speaks at a press confer- dustries, triggering disputes Japan provide $500 million
between the two nations. ence in Tokyo Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. between the two countries. to South Korea in econom-
Tokyo is waiting for Seoul Associated Press Earlier this month, lawyers ic assistance rather than
to take steps to uphold the representing the Korean compensation. South Ko-
1965 compensation treaty court rulings worry me," dation of our relationship plaintiffs said they will start rea says the treaty does not
that has served as the legal Kono said. "But I'm confi- won't be damaged, and a legal process to freeze terminate individuals' right
foundation for bilateral re- dent that the South Korean we will be waiting." some of Nippon Steel's as- to seek compensation for
lations, he said. side will handle appropri- South Korea's top court re- sets in South Korea if the the inhumane experiences
"The South Korean supreme ately so that the legal foun- cently ordered Japanese company doesn't agree to they were forced into.q

Police raid home of Brazil cabinet minister in graft probe

By MARCELO SILVA DE SOU- a request by Attorney Gen- of JBS.
SA eral Raquel Dodge. It also said JBS made cash
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Bra- The Attorney General's Of- campaign donations in
zilian Federal Police raided fice said the raid on Kass- 2014 to the Social Demo-
the home of Science and ab's residence in Sao Paulo cratic Party — then chaired
Technology Minister Gilber- followed testimony by the by Kassab — which was
to Kassab Wednesday fol- owner of JBS, Wesley Batis- part of a coalition backing
lowing accusations that he ta, and executive Ricardo Workers Party presidential
received millions in bribes Saud, who said that they candidate Dilma Rousseff.
from the JBS food compa- were responsible for paying On November 9, the Fed-
ny between 2010 and 2016. the bribes. Batista and Saud eral Police arrested Joes-
Prosecutors said they sus- are receiving preferential ley Batista, former director
pect that the minister may treatment in exchange for of JBS, one of the world's
have received as much as their testimony in a variety largest food companies, as
$13.8 million in exchange of corruption cases. part of an investigation into
for defending the interests In a statement to Brazilian corruption and irregularities
of JBS during his tenures as paper G1, Kassab defend- In this Sept. 5, 2018 handout photo released by Agencia Brasil, between 2014 and 2015 in
Science and Technology Minister Gilberto Kassab attends a ses-
mayor of Sao Paulo and as ed himself saying, "Through- sion in Congress, in Brasilia, Brazil. the Ministry of Agriculture.
a congressman. out my years of public ser- Associated Press However, only three days
Brazil's Supreme Court au- vice I have never been later the Supreme Court or-
thorized the operation, compromised. I make my- ceived a monthly payment JBS signed a fictitious con- dered him released, ruling
which included a total of self available at the disposi- from JBS between 2010 and tract to provide services the arrest was unjustified
six search warrants in the tion of the courts." 2016 to defend the interests with a transport company due to Batista's willingness
states of Sao Paulo and Rio According to the Attorney of the company. To ob- that had a relationship with to cooperate and the an-
Grande do Norte, followed General's Office, Kassab re- scure the payment, it said, J&F, the holding company tiquity of the accusations.q