January 31, 2025
The House of Representatives Budget Committee on January 30 decided to summon a former treasurer of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Abe faction, Matsumoto Jun’ichiro, as an unsworn witness with the aim of getting to the bottom of the LDP’s slush-fund scandal.
The opposition block (the Japanese Communist Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the “Nippon Ishin no Kai” party, the Democratic Party for the People, and the “Reiwa Shinsengumi” party) voted for the summoning. The LDP voted against it and the LDP’s coalition partner Komei Party walked out of the Committee meeting before the vote.
At a press conference after the Budget Committee meeting, JCP Lower House member Tamura Takaaki stressed, “Matsumoto served as treasurer of the now-defunct LDP faction led by the late Prime Minister Abe and thus knew how and why off-the-book funds were created and what the money was used for. So, summoning him to the Diet is necessary to uncover the truth behind this issue. This is the public demand and the mission of the Budget Committee.”
The opposition forces in the last extraordinary Diet session argued that to have the ex-Abe faction’s treasurer testify in the Diet is vital to expose everything in regard to the slush-fund allegations, and acted in unison to realize their demand. In the current ordinary Diet session, they called for the Budget Committee’s decision as a precondition of holding discussion on the government-drafted budget for fiscal 2025. The LDP was rigidly opposed to the opposition forces’ call. Therefore, Budget Committee Chair Azumi Jun (CDPJ member) at a meeting of Committee board members on January 29 proposed to hold a vote for the summoning. The LDP reluctantly accepted Azumi’s proposal.
It marked the first time in 51 years that the Lower House Budget Committee decided by vote on the summoning of an individual to testify before the Diet as an unsworn witness. Committee Chair Azumi aims to hold an interpellation of the witness around February 10.
Regarding the slush-fund scandal, LDP Dietmembers who attended the Political Ethics Committee of both Houses in regard to their alleged involvement in the creation of the off-the-book funds claimed that they unreported part of incomes from fundraiser ticket sales under instructions given by their factions’ secretariats. However, executive members of the former Abe faction denied being involved in the creation of slush funds.
Matsumoto in a criminal trial where he was found guilty testified that the continuation of the slush-fund practice was decided through consultation among factions’ executives. The summoning of Matsumoto is essential to bring the truth to light.
Past related article:
> All LDP lawmakers in Political Ethics Committee interrogations claim they ‘Don't Know’ about kickback money [December 21, 2024]
The opposition block (the Japanese Communist Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the “Nippon Ishin no Kai” party, the Democratic Party for the People, and the “Reiwa Shinsengumi” party) voted for the summoning. The LDP voted against it and the LDP’s coalition partner Komei Party walked out of the Committee meeting before the vote.
At a press conference after the Budget Committee meeting, JCP Lower House member Tamura Takaaki stressed, “Matsumoto served as treasurer of the now-defunct LDP faction led by the late Prime Minister Abe and thus knew how and why off-the-book funds were created and what the money was used for. So, summoning him to the Diet is necessary to uncover the truth behind this issue. This is the public demand and the mission of the Budget Committee.”
The opposition forces in the last extraordinary Diet session argued that to have the ex-Abe faction’s treasurer testify in the Diet is vital to expose everything in regard to the slush-fund allegations, and acted in unison to realize their demand. In the current ordinary Diet session, they called for the Budget Committee’s decision as a precondition of holding discussion on the government-drafted budget for fiscal 2025. The LDP was rigidly opposed to the opposition forces’ call. Therefore, Budget Committee Chair Azumi Jun (CDPJ member) at a meeting of Committee board members on January 29 proposed to hold a vote for the summoning. The LDP reluctantly accepted Azumi’s proposal.
It marked the first time in 51 years that the Lower House Budget Committee decided by vote on the summoning of an individual to testify before the Diet as an unsworn witness. Committee Chair Azumi aims to hold an interpellation of the witness around February 10.
Regarding the slush-fund scandal, LDP Dietmembers who attended the Political Ethics Committee of both Houses in regard to their alleged involvement in the creation of the off-the-book funds claimed that they unreported part of incomes from fundraiser ticket sales under instructions given by their factions’ secretariats. However, executive members of the former Abe faction denied being involved in the creation of slush funds.
Matsumoto in a criminal trial where he was found guilty testified that the continuation of the slush-fund practice was decided through consultation among factions’ executives. The summoning of Matsumoto is essential to bring the truth to light.
Past related article:
> All LDP lawmakers in Political Ethics Committee interrogations claim they ‘Don't Know’ about kickback money [December 21, 2024]
