TOKYO: Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s top government spokesperson, is alleged to have received more than 10 million yen (about US$70,000) in a kickback, reported Xinhua.
Matsuno, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s largest faction, was accused of receiving the kickback from fundraising events hosted by the faction, national news agency Kyodo reported on Friday, citing a source close to the matter.
The faction, namely Seiwaken previously led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was suspected to have pooled secret funds amounting to around 100 million yen (about US$700,000) over at least the past five years through 2022, earlier reports said.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced his decision to step down as chief of his faction in the LDP, or Kochikai, according to local media reports on Thursday.–Bernama-Xinhua