Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said Monday he was returning a year’s salary after his ministry scrubbed public documents related to a cronyism scandal that has dogged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But he ruled out resigning after it emerged ministry officials had removed hundreds of references to Abe, his
Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said Monday he was returning a year’s salary after his ministry scrubbed public documents related to a cronyism scandal that has dogged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
But he ruled out resigning after it emerged ministry officials had removed hundreds of references to Abe, his wife, and Aso from documents related to the sale of state land at below-market prices.
« I am voluntarily returning 12 months of my salary as a cabinet minister, as this problem has hurt public confidence in the finance ministry and the administration as a whole, » Taro Aso told reporters.
But he added, « I am not thinking about stepping down », as he announced the findings of the ministry’s in-house probe.
Aso is the richest minister in Abe’s cabinet because of his family’s massive fortune made in the mining business. He also earns some 30 million yen a year as a cabinet minister.
Aso said the ministry had penalised around 20 officials, imposing pay cuts in some cases and issuing verbal reprimands to others. « Officially approved administrative documents should never have been altered and submitted to parliament.
