Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, answers questions at the Upper House Rules and Administration Committee session on Dec. 25. (Toshiyuki Hayashi)
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s responses to questions over contentious financing of Tokyo hotel banquets held for supporters in his electoral district raised serious doubt about his awareness of how he deceived the Diet, the highest organ of state power, and violated the public s trust.
Abe’s explanations about alleged illegal payments to benefit voters in his constituency were far from convincing. He acknowledged his “ethical and political” responsibility, but did not come across as sincere.
Abe attended sessions of the Rule and Administration Committees of both houses on Dec. 25, held in response to his request for an opportunity to address his past false remarks about how the office of his local support group partly financed the banquets held on the eve of annual cherry blossom-viewing parties hosted by the prime min
Japan s ex-PM Abe apologizes in parliament over funding misstatements china.org.cn - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from china.org.cn Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Japan's opposition parties criticized former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday after prosecutors decided not to indict him over payments for dinner functions for supporters for which they have issued a summary indictment of one of his state-paid secretaries. Jun Azumi, the Diet affairs chief of the main opposition Constitutional…
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows in apology at a news conference in the Diet building on Dec. 24. (Koichi Ueda)
About 20 years ago, a parking ticket made national news. It was issued to a popular singer for illegally parking his luxury car, but his assistant claimed responsibility for the violation.
After the truth came to light, the singer insisted, Had I known, I would never have let my assistant take the fall for me.
His protestation was so unconvincing, it stuck in my mind.
The assistant was given a summary indictment and fined for concealing the offender s identity.
I couldn t help substituting the singer for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the assistant for Abe s top aide as I pondered the outcome of the Tokyo prosecutors probe into the scandal over lavish banquets held on the eve of annual cherry blossom viewing parties hosted by the prime minister.
Japan s ex-PM Abe not indicted over dinner party spending ANI | Updated: Dec 24, 2020 15:23 IST
Tokyo [Japan], December 24 (ANI/Xinhua): Japanese prosecutors on Thursday said they had decided not to indict former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over allegations his support group failed to report spending related to annual parties thrown for Abe s supporters at Tokyo hotels in its political fund reports.
The prosecutors have instead issued a summary indictment for Hiroyuki Haikawa, a state-paid secretary to Abe, and will seek to fine him for failing to report in the group s political fund reports spending and revenue related to parties that were held on the eve of government-funded cherry blossom viewing events during Abe s premiership.