Newsfrom Japan
Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)–Hakubun Shimomura, former policy chief of the Liberal Democratic Party, on Tuesday offered to appear before the ethics panel of the House of Representatives over a money scandal involving factions of the Japanese ruling party.
The LDP aims to hold a meeting of the Lower House Deliberative Council on Political Ethics as early as Friday, ahead of a party convention on Sunday. But the council meeting may be delayed until next week or later as the Diet schedule is tight this week.
Shimomura was a senior member of the LDP faction once led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which was deeply involved in the money scandal.
“I will explain sincerely, without lies or deception,” Shimomura told reporters on Tuesday.
Shimomura was one of the faction’s executives who attended a meeting in August 2022 to discuss the revival of the faction’s kickback scheme related to fundraising parties.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]