Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will replace scandal-tainted reconstruction minister Kenya Akiba with former reconstruction minister Hiromichi Watanabe, sources said Tuesday. 

The expected dismissal of Akiba, 60, is seen dealing an additional blow to Kishida, who carried out a cabinet shake-up just in August. He has already replaced three ministers.

Kishida decided the latest dismissal apparently because Akiba is seen coming under even stronger attacks from opposition parties in the ordinary session of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, from next month.

Kishida hopes to shore up his administration through the appointment of Watanabe, 72, who served as reconstruction minister under the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Akiba, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party faction led by Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, will submit his resignation to Kishida at the prime minister’s office Tuesday. His successor will be appointed within the day.

Akiba is suspected of funneling political funds to his family and paying rewards to secretaries for their roles in his campaigning for last year’s election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet.

Kishida is also expected to replace Mio Sugita, parliamentary vice minister for internal affairs and communications, who has been under fire for her past discriminatory remarks about sexual and ethnic minorities.

JIJI Press