Minister quits job over graft scandal

Japanese Economy Minister Akira Amari resigned on Thursday to take responsibility for a political funding scandal that has rocked the government. He denied having taken bribes.

In a packed news conference televised live, Amari acknowledged taking money from a construction company executive but said he told his aides to correctly record themas a political donation.

While asserting his legal innocence, Amari, a key player in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policy team, said he was stepping down to prevent the scandal from being a distraction to his administration's drive to pull the country out of deflation.