Focus

Japan's top govt spokesperson allegedly receives 10 million yen in kickback

08 Dec 2023 03:00pm
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan's top government spokesperson, is alleged to have received more than 10 million yen (about 70,000 US dollars) in a kickback, local media reported, as the ruling party's funds scandal escalates. - AFP
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan's top government spokesperson, is alleged to have received more than 10 million yen (about 70,000 US dollars) in a kickback, local media reported, as the ruling party's funds scandal escalates. - AFP

TOKYO - Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan's top government spokesperson, is alleged to have received more than 10 million yen (about 70,000 US dollars) in a kickback, local media reported on Friday, as the ruling party's funds scandal escalates.

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, 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 700,000 U.S. dollars) 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. - XINHUA

Related Articles:
Hirokazu Matsuno
spokesperson
kickback
corruption
Liberal Democratic Party
More Like This
"I Voted" stickers are displayed at Union Station vote center on the final day of early voting ahead of Election Day. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP
"I Voted" stickers are displayed at Union Station vote center on the final day of early voting ahead of Election Day. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP
World US election: When will we know who won?
In 2020, US media declared Democratic candidate Joe Biden the winner on Saturday Nov 7, although polls closed the Tuesday before.
People walk past posters campaigning for Democratic presidential nominee, US Vice President Kamala Harris are seen on a wall along twelfth street on November 04, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. - Photo by AFP
People walk past posters campaigning for Democratic presidential nominee, US Vice President Kamala Harris are seen on a wall along twelfth street on November 04, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. - Photo by AFP
World What if the US election ends in a Trump-Harris tie?
Under the US system, it is not the national popular vote that decides who becomes president, but a 538-member "Electoral College," in which each state gets as many "electors" as their representation in Congress.
Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Santander Arena on November 04, 2024 in Reading, Pennsylvania. - Photo by AFP
Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Santander Arena on November 04, 2024 in Reading, Pennsylvania. - Photo by AFP
World Is the US election really so close?
The political establishment was blindsided in 2016 when Trump won despite trailing in polls, while Joe Biden's 2020 victory margin proved much narrower than predicted.
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania on November 4, 2024. (Photo by Samuel CORUM / AFP)
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania on November 4, 2024. (Photo by Samuel CORUM / AFP)
World At final Harris rally, a mix of enthusiasm and worry over US election
She is fed up with political ads on TV and tired of having to explain to her friends that Facebook and Instagram videos do not count as real news.