TOKYO - Following the scandal involving political fundraising parties by factions within the Liberal Democratic Party, former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Motoyuki Shiotani, who served as the leader of the Abe faction, disclosed that he had received over 2.3 million yen in kickbacks from the faction over five years without recording it in his financial statements, for which he apologized. However, he denied any intentions of resigning as a lawmaker or leaving the party.
During a press conference held at his office in Hamamatsu City on the afternoon of the 28th, Shiotani expressed his deepest apologies, stating, "I sincerely apologize for significantly undermining the trust of the public." He revealed that although he had received 2.34 million yen in kickbacks from the faction for party ticket revenues exceeding sales quotas over the past five years, he had not recorded these transactions in his financial statements. Shiotani explained, "I believed that I was only selling the quota and had not received any kickbacks. It was only now that I became aware of a refund due to myself as the quotas were halved during the pandemic." He also stated that the funds were used for transportation and meeting expenses and indicated his intention to correct the financial statements accordingly.
When asked about the possibility of resigning or leaving the party, Shiotani responded, "It is problematic to conclude the matter by someone resigning. I want to fulfill my responsibility by tackling significant challenges and carrying out my duties," thereby rejecting the idea of stepping down.
Source: NHK
