Ex-LDP Lawmaker Hirose to Be Indicted over Alleged Pay Fraud

Tokyo, Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)--Japanese public prosecutors plan to indict former Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Megumi Hirose without arrest for alleged fraud over the salary for a publicly paid secretary, it was learned Friday.

Hirose left the ruling party and resigned as a member of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan's parliament, after the scandal came to light.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office conducted searches of Hirose's office, home and other locations on suspicion of fraud. It also interviewed her and her secretary with their consent.

According to informed sources, Hirose allegedly reported the wife of her first public secretary as her second secretary between around 2022 and 2023, although the wife did not work as a secretary. The scheme was allegedly intended to defraud the state of salary paid for a public secretary.

The first public secretary has told prosecutors that he could not refuse because he was told that the Hirose camp needed the money as operating expenses.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]