TOKYO, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Political fund scandals, for now, probably have become the major killer of Japanese ministers under the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration since the ambitious leader, who vows to bring Japan back, resumed office in late December 2012.
Hakubun Shimomura, minister of education, culture and science, is the latest cabinet member under fire over the scandal that some of his regional support groups were allegedly not registered as political organizations. However, the minister denied the charge.
Local magazine Shukan Bunshun said in a report Thursday that several groups supporting Shimomura under the name of Hakuyukai, except a Tokyo-based group, were not registered as political organization, a group whose purpose is to support a candidate for public office, Japan's political fund control law states.
"There are six groups across Japan. They are for educators and not organized for political purposes," Shimomura was quoted by Japan's Kyodo News at a parliamentary session in the lower house, denying that he received donations from the groups or sold them tickets for his fundraising parties.
However, Yoshiaki Takaki, chairman of the Diet Affairs Committee of Japan's major opposition the Democratic Party of Japan, said "he (the minister) said it is not a violation of the law. But it's natural to think that the (Hakuyukai) groups are political organizations that have to be registered and required to submit political funds reports to local election boards."
"I believe the minister has fulfilled his responsibility to explain the issue to the Diet and I don't see any illegality in this," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga defended the troubled education minister at a press briefing.
The latest case came only three days after the resignation of Agriculture Minister Koya Nishikawa over political fund scandal. Nishikawa was also the third minister that stepped down in the Abe 's administration due to the same problem.
Nishikawa, 72, is trapped by allegation of receiving illegal donations from companies. But the minister also denied any wrongdoings, saying "I cannot forgive myself for causing trouble to the Cabinet at a time when we are trying to reform the country' s agriculture policy."
A sugar company operated by the Japan Sugar Refiners' Association donated about 1 million yen (about 8,400 U.S. dollars) to the minister.
Japan's political funds control law bans companies from donating political donations within a year after being granted government subsidies. Nishikawa's home constituency also received donations from a wood-processing company after the firm got government subsidy.
The prime minister offered apology over Nishikawa's resignation.
"The responsibility for appointing him lies with me. I apologize to the Japanese people," Abe said.
Last year, two female Japanese ministers, representatives of Abe's "womenomincs," resigned due to political funds problems and the resignations also partially triggered Abe to dissolve the lower house and called a snap general election.
Then Trade Minister Yuko Obuchi and then Justice Minister Midori Matsushima quitted their posts for misuse of political funds, only one month after their appointments in a cabinet reshuffle.
While, political fund report of Yoichi Miyazawa, the successor of Obuchi, was also found spending of 18,230 yen for sadomasochism sex show in a bar in Hiroshima and Miyazawa, who also involved in other allegations, not resigned.
In the general election in December, the scandal-hit ministers, including Obuchi, Matsushima and Miyazawa, secured their seats in the lower house.
