3 Japanese ministers tender resignations over funds scandal

TOKYO -- Three Japanese ministers tendered their resignations on Thursday amid an unfolding political funds scandal centering on the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), local media reported.

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Junji Suzuki and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ichiro Miyashita submitted letters of resignation Thursday morning, public broadcaster NHK said.

Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno was expected to do the same later in the day at a press conference, the report said.

The LDP has recently been under heavy scrutiny amid accusations that its largest faction failed to declare hundreds of millions of yen in fundraising events revenue in political funding reports, possibly pooling secret funds.

Allegations have been leveled against several key Cabinet and LDP figures from the faction, namely Seiwaken, or the Seiwa policy study group previously led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.