"Assembly members' family ties to contracts given at Sendai nuclear plant raise eyebrows"

As reported by the Asahi Shimbun, two prefectural assembly members (Katsuzo Hokazono and Kaneoki Obata of the pro-nuclear power Liberal Democratic Party) who voted in favor of restart of the Sendai nuclear power plant in southern Japan have close personal, professional, and family ties to the atomic reactors in question. The two have served as paid consultants to the nuclear utility, and are themselves, or have close family members who are, in charge of construction firms that have received multi-million contracts from the nuclear utility. The Sendai nuclear power plant is the first to receive Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan, as well as prefectural, and local municipal authority approval to restart after post-Fukushima required safety upgrades.

The article reports:

'Hokazono has been a strong proponent of resuming operations at the Sendai plant, saying on one occasion during a Kagoshima prefectural assembly session, "We must push forward with resumption of operations for the sake of national interests."

...The two said their family relationships and the work contracts did not factor into their deliberations and decisions on safety issues concerning the Sendai plant.'