TOKYO, Dec 11 (NNN-NHK) – Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, amid growing political fund scandals, is mulling replacing all ministers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s faction, previously led by former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, local media reported, yesterday.
Kishida has already decided to replace Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, over his alleged failure to report millions of yen received as part of fundraising efforts for the largest LDP faction, said national news agency, Kyodo, citing sources close to the matter.
The faction, namely Seiwaken, or the Seiwa policy study group, previously led by the late former Prime Minister Abe, was suspected of having pooled secret funds amounting to around 100 million yen (about 690,000 U.S. dollars) over at least the past five years through 2022, earlier local reports showed.
Matsuno served as the secretary general of the Abe faction between Sept, 2019 and Oct, 2021.
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura also faces similar allegations.
Along with the ministers, Kishida is also expected to dismiss all senior vice ministers and parliamentary vice ministers from Abe’s faction, Kyodo reported.– NNN-NHK
