Japanese Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita's annual political fund reports contradicted with each other, local media reported on Wednesday, uncovering the second " scandal of politics and money" after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reshuffled the Cabinet on Aug. 27.
Kamoshita's fund management organization's 2003-2005 official reports on political funds show it borrowed 10 million yen (about 86,200 U.S. dollars) from Kamoshita on Aug. 10, 1996, but its 1996 report says the amount borrowed was only 2 million yen (about 17, 240 dollars).
Kamoshita, a House of Representatives member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said the problem is only a mistake in recording and refused to resign.
In a statement, he said when he loaned money to the fund management organization, the body erroneously omitted it or mistakenly listed it on its reports.
Abe asked Kamoshita to correct the mistake and provide sufficient explanations to the public, adding that the problem will not lead to the environment minister's resignation.
Former Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Takehiko Endo resigned on Monday, only a week after taking office, over scandal of a farmers' mutual aid association he heads. The body was found to have illegally obtained 1.15 million yen (9,900 U.S. dollars) in government subsidies in 1999 by padding its membership numbers when applying for a crop damage compensation scheme.
Source: Xinhua
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