Politics
20:35, 02-Feb-2018
Japanese MP claims recording ties PM's wife to fraud-accused
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A Japanese opposition lawmaker has released an audio recording that he says proves that the wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has links with a scandal-hit education executive, public broadcaster NHK reported.
It said that Kotaro Tatsumi of the Communist Party presented the recording that allegedly ties Yasunori Kagoike, former chief of educational institution Moritomo Gakuen, to Akie Abe at a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee on Thursday.
Opposition parties have also raised questions about Moritomo Gakuen's purchase of land for the school, whose honorary principal was due to be Akie Abe. The operator bought state-owned land for just 14 percent of the appraisal price, finance ministry data showed, a discount officials have said was intended to account for cleanup costs.
Yasunori Kagoike (c) is surrounded by reporters as he arrives at election campaign of main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Akihabara, Tokyo on July 1, 2017. /VCG Photo
Yasunori Kagoike (c) is surrounded by reporters as he arrives at election campaign of main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Akihabara, Tokyo on July 1, 2017. /VCG Photo
The audio file is said to recorded a conversation between Kagoike and officials of the Kinki Local Finance Bureau in Osaka about a waste problem on March 16, 2016, one day after he met with Yoshihiro Tamura, chief of the National Property Examination and Appraisal Office.
In the three hours of talking, Kagoike allegedly said, "I received a phone call from Akie, and she asked, 'What was the result (of the meeting with Tamura)? Please hang in there.' I don't know how to answer. What do you think I should do?"
Tatsumi asked the prime minister at Thursday's meeting whether his wife had phoned Kagoike on the day in question.
Abe did not answer the question, saying, "Please notify me (of the question) in advance." However, he indicated that he would ask his wife about the issue.
Tatsumi said Akie should be questioned by parliament for more details.
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