Japan PM Kishida's popularity further depletes over 'secret funds' scandal

Dec 01, 2023 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's popularity has further depleted with fresh corruption allegations emerging this week over the secret funds Tokyo had at its disposal that were allegedly used to sway the vote for the country to host the 2020 Olympics.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on Thursday (Nov 30), the accusations regarding the scandal centre on the unlimited funds for Tokyo to win over members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) who chose the host city for the Olympics, and $135,000 was spent on photo albums for IOC individuals.

These suggestions prompted the opposition on Monday to question Prime Minister Kishida in parliament. Citing analysts, the report said that Kishida's support has already been declining over other challenges, and a renewed attack on the government's handling of the Olympics is the last thing he needed.

On Nov 17, Hiroshi Hase, a former leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who is now governor of Ishikawa prefecture, said in a speech that he provided gifts to IOC members amid their deliberations over the 2020 Olympics host city.

The report said that Tokyo was up against Turkey's Istanbul and Spain's Madrid when the vote was held in 2013. Hase was the head of the Tokyo committee and said he was given access at that time to discretionary funds- which were also known as secret funds. ...continue reading

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