Japan's Farm Minister Arata Takebe Embroiled in Political Funds Scandal a Week After Taking Office; ¥300,000 Donation Returned
Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Arata Takebe, has been embroiled in a political funds scandal, Xinhua reported from Tokyo on October 21, citing Kyodo News. The Liberal Democratic Party's Hokkaido No. 12 constituency branch, which Takebe represents, accepted a ¥300,000 donation during the 2024 lower house election from a company undertaking national public works projects, in suspected violation of the Public Offices Election Act.
Takebe said on October 21 that he had returned the donation and corrected the political funds report. Takebe took office as farm minister on October 15, after his predecessor resigned on October 14 over a scandal. Opposition parties have questioned the Sanae Takaichi government's personnel choices.
(Pictured: the National Diet Building in Tokyo, file photo.)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Kakidai · CC BY-SA 4.0
