Jul 16 (Nikkei) - The family of the man suspected of shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to death was impoverished as a result of his mother's huge donation to a religious group, an uncle of the man told reporters Friday.
The mother of Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, joined the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, in 1991 and donated 20 million yen ($144,112) at the time of entrance, the uncle said. She continued to donate even after the family went bankrupt.
Investigations by Nara Prefectural Police have found that the mother's devotion to the FFWPU, formerly called the Unification Church, contributed to Yamagami's crime.
She joined the religious group in about 1998, according to the church. But the uncle denied this, saying she joined in 1991 after her husband's suicide.
The mother donated some 20 million yen to the FFWPU when she joined in 1991 and contributed an additional 30 million several days after the first donation, the uncle said. The donation was financed by her husband's life insurance money, he added.
Property registration and other documents show that she sold two land lots, inherited from her father, in 1999 and went into voluntary bankruptcy in 2002. Her donations to the religious group exceeded 100 million yen, according to the uncle.
Source: MBS NEWS
