Minister blames latewife for spending irregularities

Japanese Environment Minister Yoshio Mochizuki blamed his late wife when discussing allegations of illegal expenditure, at a news conference held on Tuesday.

Mochizuki said that his late wife incorrectly reported party fees and other expenditures as costs for holding New Year's Day parties in his support group's income and expense reports.

He said there were no illegal expenditures involved.

However, Mochizuki, drenched with sweat, was sometimes at a loss for words and was busy checking the documents, and repeatedly said, "I had entrusted all to my wife" and "My wife was overseeing it".

Mochizuki is the latest Cabinet minister to be hit by allegations of political fund-related improprieties, adding further to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's headaches.

Two other ministers, including then-trade and industry minister Yuko Obuchi, quit over the dubious use of political funds last week, hitting public support for the Abe's government.

Obuchi's successor, Yoichi Miyazawa, also came under scrutiny after acknowledging last week that an aide spent 18,230 yen ($169) at an S&M-themed bar, and that he himself held 600 shares in Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant that his ministry oversees.

Both Mochizuki and Miyazawa have said they will remain in their posts.

Media also reported that a political group affiliated with Haruko Arimura, the minister in charge of women's empowerment, received 600,000 yen in donations in 2011 and 2012 from a company that was fined for tax evasion.

Reuters - Xinhua

(China Daily 10/29/2014 page11)