Four Japanese Ministers Resign Over Alleged Corruption

At least four cabinet officials in Japan’s ruling party resigned on Thursday due to a fundraising scandal involving the influential group.

Reports claimed that over five years until 2022, more than 500 million yen (£2.8 million; $3.4 million) ended up in slush funds.

Naija News learned that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had, a day before the latest resignation trend, promised to address the serious allegations of $500 million in bribes within the division-plagued Liberal Democratic Party.

Prosecutors were also reportedly planning to conduct office raids and interview numerous legislators.

In addition to the cabinet officials, the prime minister’s special advisor, Michiko Ueno, and five deputy Japanese ministers will also be stepping down. This development has caused significant upheaval within the party that has governed the world’s third-largest economy for almost three decades.

Naija News understands that Japan’s Minister of Economy and Industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura; Minister of Internal Affairs, Junji Suzuki; and  Minister of Agriculture, Ichiro Miyashita also tendered their resignations, as verified by Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno.

The Asahi Shimbun Daily quoted the chief government spokesman, Matsuno to have said that the prime minister’s special advisor, Michiko Ueno, is also stepping down, along with five other deputy Japanese ministers.

“The public is becoming less trusting of the government as a result of their misgivings about political funding. I felt I wanted to make things right while the investigation was ongoing,” Nishimura also told reporters.

Kishida said, “I will lead the LDP and make efforts like a ball of fire to restore the public’s trust.”

Since the LDP returned to power in 2012, the prime minister’s poll numbers have been the lowest of any premier due to voter resentment over inflation and his handling of several previous scandals.

The report added that the grouping, headed until recently by Kishida himself, was also suspected of failing to declare more than 20 million yen in the three years to 2020.