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Abe bowed to apologize to MPs on December 25 – Photo: REUTERS
The Reuters news agency said the financial scandal this time could affect the reputation and image of Abe, who served as Japan’s prime minister for the longest time in modern history.
“Although I don’t know how the spending is going, I feel that it is my responsibility to apologize. From my heart, I sincerely apologize to the people and MPs,” said the former prime minister of Japan. shows remorse before Congress on December 25.
“My political responsibility is very serious. I will do my best to regain the trust of the people,” Abe said.
According to the AFP news agency, for the 5 consecutive years from 2014 to 2019, Mr. Abe’s office opened the reception parties to see the cherry blossoms. The total cost of these parties was 8 million yen (about US $ 76,000), paid for by Mr. Abe’s office.
However, this amount is neither recorded nor reported under the provisions of Japan’s strict electoral finance laws. On December 24, Abe admitted that he had no idea what his subordinates had done after his secretary, Hiroyuki Haikawa, was summoned and fined 1 million yen for failing to keep track of the party’s expenses. .
Japanese law prohibits politicians from giving their supporters money or gifts, including fruit baskets, to increase support. The law was so strict that in 2014, a minister lost his seat just because he handed out paper fans to his voters in the scorching sun, Reuters added.
When a parliamentary finance committee investigated in late 2019, Abe repeatedly denied it 118 times, according to Japanese media. This caused that his apology was not accepted by the opposition deputies.
“Why don’t you resign from your congress?” Criticized the Japanese constitutional member of the Democratic Party Tsujimoto Kiyomi on December 25. Another congressman from the same party accused Abe of not having the intention of explaining the matter clearly and only of apologizing for it.
In response to the criticism, former Prime Minister Abe simply kept silent.
