Abe Vows to Keep Aso in Place

June 1, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed Friday to keep Finance Minister Taro Aso in his post, as Aso has been under pressure to resign amid a scandal over his ministry's document falsification.

"I want Aso to punish (officials involved in the scandal) and work hard to prevent any repeat," Abe told parliament.

Aso plans to announce punishments on Monday for ministry officials involved in the falsification of documents related to a controversial discounted state land sale to school operator Moritomo Gakuen.

The officials are expected to include Nobuhisa Sagawa, then director-general of the Financial Bureau.

Abe declined to comment on a decision by public prosecutors not to indict Sagawa and other ministry officials in the case.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party rejected Friday an opposition request to summon Sagawa to parliament again to speak about the scandal.

Moritomo Gakuen bought the land in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, in 2016 to open an elementary school. But it gave up the plan in March last year after the land deal came under fire. Abe's wife, Akie, was once appointed honorary principal of the elementary school. Jiji Press