On Thursday, four ministers in Japan submitted their resignations, as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is unpopular, struggles to contain a significant corruption issue within the ruling party.
Allegations of 500 million yen ($3.4 million) in kickbacks have caused a cabinet crisis in the division-plagued Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled the third-largest economy in the world for nearly three decades.
According to media sources, later this week, prosecutors were planning to start conducting office raids and interviewing numerous legislators.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed that he was stepping down and that Economy and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, Internal Affairs Minister Junji Suzuki and Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita had also tendered their resignations.
Michiko Ueno, a special advisor to the prime minister, is also leaving office as well as five deputy ministers, Matsuno, who is also chief government spokesman, told reporters.
“The public’s doubts are around me over political funds, which is leading to distrust in the government. As an investigation is going on, I thought I wanted to set things right,” Nishimura told reporters.
Kishida said a day before that he would deal with the allegations “head-on”.
“I will make efforts like a ball of fire and lead the LDP to restore the public’s trust,” he told reporters.
