TOKYO, Jan 29 (News On Japan) –
Following the scandal involving political fundraising events by factions inside the Liberal Democratic Party, former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Motoyuki Shiotani, who served because the chief of the Abe faction, disclosed that he had acquired over 2.3 million yen in kickbacks from the faction over 5 years with out recording it in his monetary statements, for which he apologized. However, he denied any intentions of resigning as a lawmaker or leaving the get together.
During a press convention held at his workplace in Hamamatsu City on the afternoon of the twenty eighth, Shiotani expressed his deepest apologies, stating, “I sincerely apologize for significantly undermining the trust of the public.” He revealed that though he had acquired 2.34 million yen in kickbacks from the faction for get together ticket revenues exceeding gross sales quotas over the previous 5 years, he had not recorded these transactions in his monetary statements. Shiotani defined, “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 additionally acknowledged that the funds had been used for transportation and assembly bills and indicated his intention to appropriate the monetary statements accordingly.
When requested about the opportunity of resigning or leaving the get together, 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 thought of stepping down.
Source: NHK