TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, also president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Friday denied former Prime Minister MORI Yoshiro’s involvement in a high-profile slush funds scandal involving LDP factions.

At the day’s meeting of the Cabinet Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, Kishida said, “At the beginning of this week, I asked (Mori about the scandal) over the phone.”

“There was nothing concrete to confirm” that Mori had been involved in the practice of creating slush funds at an LDP faction previously headed by the late former Prime Minister ABE Shinzo, Kishida said. Many believe that Mori was involved in the scandal, as he had previously served as head of the faction.

Kishida also voiced his determination to implement political reform measures, including enacting a bill to revise the political funds control law during the ongoing parliamentary session.

Kishida’s statements came a day after the LDP leadership team decided punishments against 39 party members over the scandal. Mori was not included in the list of those facing punishments.

Also on Friday, LDP parliamentary affairs leader Yasukazu Hamada and Jun Azumi, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s parliamentary affairs head, held a meeting.

Azumi requested that Kishida attend meetings of special committees on political reform soon to be established in both chambers of the Diet to offer an explanation on the punishments.

Kishida “has no choice but to dissolve the Lower House for a snap election,” Azumi said to reporters.

“We are now in a situation where we must ask the public what they think (about the scandal),” he added.

The heads of Diet affairs in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, from the LDP and the CDP also agreed on the day to try to hold a meeting of the special committee next week.

Hiroshige Seko, former secretary-general for LDP lawmakers in the Upper House, who was among those punished by the party, attended a meeting of Upper House lawmakers of the Abe faction on Friday.

Seko, who left the party after being advised to do so under his punishment, told reporters after the meeting, “I was asked in-depth questions, such as the reasons behind my punishment.”

“I apologized (to the lawmakers) for causing considerable concern,” he said.

JIJI Press