Aso denies intent to resign over MOF document fraud

March 12, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso on Monday denied any immediate intention to resign over the Ministry of Finance's alterations of documents related to the discount sale of state-owned land to school operator Moritomo Gakuen.

"I'm not considering" whether to resign over the scandal, Aso told reporters, noting that the document tampering was conducted by "some" at the ministry's Financial Bureau.

On Monday, the ministry submitted a report admitting that the documents were altered after the controversial land sale came to light in February 2017.

"I came to know this on Sunday," Aso stressed. "The ministry is looking into the matter itself while cooperating with investigative authorities."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference that Aso should lead the ministry's own investigation.

The opposition camp is stepping up its criticisms over the document tampering, aiming to hold not just Aso but also Prime Minister Shinzo Abe accountable.

"It's an unprecedented incident that undermines trust in and the principles of parliamentary deliberations," Tetsuro Fukuyama, secretary-general of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, told reporters. "The administration's responsibility is extremely heavy."

Japanese Communist Party secretariat head Akira Koike urged the Abe cabinet to reign over the matter. Jiji Press