TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to make changes to his cabinet and his party executive following media reports that lawmakers received undeclared political funds, the Asahi newspaper reported on Sunday (Dec 10), citing government and party sources.
No one was immediately available at the prime minister’s office to comment on reports published early on Sunday.
Kishida and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are facing mounting scrutiny after allegations that party lawmakers, including high-profile members, may have pocketed more than US$693,000 of fundraising proceeds that were left off the books.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and LDP’s policy chief Koichi Hagiuda are set to be replaced as they are among those suspected of having failed to declare political funds properly, the Asahi newspaper reported.
The Mainichi newspaper also reported on Sunday that the three were set to be replaced.