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A Finance Ministry official linked to a scandal involving the wife of Japan’s prime minister has been found dead, the ministry confirmed Friday, and a second official resigned.
The death and resignation rattled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government. Opposition lawmakers said they would further scrutinize the scandal.
The body of the unidentified ministry official, who was in charge of state property transactions in western Japan, was found in his home this week, the ministry and media reports said. The ministry declined to provide additional details. Local media said the man killed himself.
Finance Minister Taro Aso announced the resignation of National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa, who previously headed a ministry department in charge of state property deals.
Aso said Sagawa resigned to take responsibility for his handling of the scandal. Sagawa was frequently summoned to parliament last year to explain the government’s handling of the scandal, and his blunt and impatient responses sparked public criticism.
