Key Takeaways
- The Japanese ministers resigned amid a major funds scandal within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
- Allegations involve the LDP‘s largest faction failing to disclose hundreds of millions of yen from fundraising events.
- Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno is expected to follow suit, intensifying political pressure.
- The scandal centers on the Seiwa policy study group, previously led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Tokyo: Three Japanese ministers tendered their resignations on Thursday amid an unfolding political funds scandal centering on the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), local media reported.
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura submitted his resignation letter Thursday morning, public broadcaster NHK said.
Alongside him, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Junji Suzuki and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ichiro Miyashita also handed in their letters of resignation.
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno was expected to do the same later in the day at a press conference, the report said.
The LDP has recently been under heavy scrutiny amid accusations that its largest faction failed to declare hundreds of millions of yen in fundraising events revenue in political funding reports, possibly pooling secret funds.
Allegations have been leveled against several key Cabinet and LDP figures from the faction, namely Seiwaken, or the Seiwa policy study group previously led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
