'Never done anything wrong' Ozawa a Diet diehard - The Japan Times

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After the first day of Ichiro Ozawa's trial ended, the Democratic Party of Japan power broker brushed aside questions about whether he is considering resigning from the Diet.

"If we had broken the law then maybe that would be a valid question, but as we have done nothing wrong, I am not thinking about quitting," Ozawa told reporters Thursday evening.

"I have never done anything wrong, nor have my secretaries (who were convicted last month). Their ruling had no legal grounds. The judges made their decision based on their own assumptions rather than the facts," he said.

When a reporter asked Ozawa whether he was willing to give sworn testimony in the Diet, as demanded by opposition parties, the DPJ don flashed anger.

"What do you think? Do you think it's OK for the legislature to deliberate on this in the midst of the trial?" Ozawa retorted.

"You should try to understand why the three branches of (government) power are separated," Ozawa said.

"The court decides based on the evidence and the law, and is independent from the other branches because other factors shouldn't affect the trial and the ruling. Study up some more before you ask me such questions," he barked.

Ozawa pleaded not guilty Thursday to conspiring with former aides to make false entries in the ecords of his fund management body, Rikuzankai, in 2004 and 2005.