Industry Minister Obuchi Quits Over Money Scandal

TOKYO, JAPAN - OCT. 20: Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yuko Obuchi resigned Monday to take responsibility for alleged misuse of political funds, while another female member of the Cabinet is also set to quit, in a huge blow to the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and its vaunted policy of promoting women's empowerment. After submitting a resignation letter to Abe earlier in the day, Obuchi -- who was being groomed as a possible future prime minister -- admitted that she failed to properly oversee the spending by her support groups. "A great deal of suspicion remains" over the financial reports, she said at a press conference. "There is no excuse...I have judged that I won't be able to continue assuming a heavy responsibility as the industry minister," Obuchi said, adding that outside experts will probe into the issue. Obuchi, daughter of a former prime minister and a fifth-term member of the House of Representatives, has been under fire over a series of allegations including one that her political groups partially shouldered her supporters' expenses for theater outings, which could be a violation of the election law banning politicians from providing benefits to voters. According to her political funds reports, two political organizations organized trips for voters to the Meijiza theater in downtown Tokyo in 2010 and 2011, spending some 33.8 million yen. The revenue for the events received by the organizations stood at 7.42 million yen, leaving a shortage of 26.4 million yen unaccounted for. Obuchi has faced another allegation that she spent a total of 3.62 million yen from her political funds at a design office and clothing shop run by her relatives. But she defended herself on this matter, saying at the press conference that she has "drawn a clear line between public and private matters."
TOKYO, JAPAN - OCT. 20: Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yuko Obuchi resigned Monday to take responsibility for alleged misuse of political funds, while another female member of the Cabinet is also set to quit, in a huge blow to the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and its vaunted policy of promoting women's empowerment. After submitting a resignation letter to Abe earlier in the day, Obuchi -- who was being groomed as a possible future prime minister -- admitted that she failed to properly oversee the spending by her support groups. "A great deal of suspicion remains" over the financial reports, she said at a press conference. "There is no excuse...I have judged that I won't be able to continue assuming a heavy responsibility as the industry minister," Obuchi said, adding that outside experts will probe into the issue. Obuchi, daughter of a former prime minister and a fifth-term member of the House of Representatives, has been under fire over a series of allegations including one that her political groups partially shouldered her supporters' expenses for theater outings, which could be a violation of the election law banning politicians from providing benefits to voters. According to her political funds reports, two political organizations organized trips for voters to the Meijiza theater in downtown Tokyo in 2010 and 2011, spending some 33.8 million yen. The revenue for the events received by the organizations stood at 7.42 million yen, leaving a shortage of 26.4 million yen unaccounted for. Obuchi has faced another allegation that she spent a total of 3.62 million yen from her political funds at a design office and clothing shop run by her relatives. But she defended herself on this matter, saying at the press conference that she has "drawn a clear line between public and private matters."
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Editorial #:
458627328
Collection:
Kyodo News
Date created:
October 20, 2014
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Clip length:
00:01:51:14
Location:
Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
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QuickTime 8-bit Photo-JPEG HD 1920x1080 29.97p
Source:
Kyodo News
Object name:
14-10-21-2-10.mov