Society

Abe apologizes in Diet; corrects statements on funding scandal

Dec 25 (Japan Today) - Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday corrected statements he had made in the Diet, apologizing for what he said were mistakes regarding a political funding scandal that has also cast a pall over the current prime minister, Yoshihide Suga.

Abe said he felt deeply responsible for making repeated false denials that his political funding group had subsidized cherry blossom viewing parties for his supporters, in possible violation of the country's strict political funding laws.

Japan's longest-serving leader said he had known nothing about the payments and pledged to work to regain public trust. The apology came after his secretary was on Thursday summarily indicted over the issue and fined 1 million yen.

"Even though the accounting procedures happened without my knowledge, I feel morally responsible for what happened," Abe told a Diet committee. "I reflect on this deeply and apologize from my heart to the citizens and to all lawmakers."

Abe also filed corrected political funding reports for the last three years.

The public apology marks a sharp reversal of fortune for Abe, a political blueblood whose grandfather and great-uncle also served as prime ministers. He quit as prime minister on health grounds in September after serving nearly eight years as prime minister.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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