【安倍派幹部・西村前大臣が地元で“おわび行脚”】朝の明石駅前で「裏金は一切ない」釈明のビラ配り　有権者の受け止めは「誰も集まっていない。評価下がった」

ABCテレビニュース

23 Jan 202404:34

Summary

TLDRIn Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, in front of JR Akashi Station, a significant political scandal is unfolding involving the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its senior minister, Yasushi Nishimura. Nishimura is publicly apologizing to the citizens of Akashi for his involvement in a kickback scandal, where it's alleged that political parties received kickbacks from party income over five years amounting to 1 million yen. Despite these allegations, Nishimura maintains his innocence, denying any directive or approval of false financial reporting. The scandal has sparked widespread political distrust among citizens, with many calling for transparency and accountability. Amidst these developments, other LDP members are also scrutinized, highlighting a broader issue of financial misconduct within Japanese politics.

Takeaways

😞 Minister Tanoshi apologized for political funds kickback scandal at JR Akashi Station
😟 Tanoshi admitted receiving 1 million yen in kickbacks over 5 years
😠 Distributed leaflets apologized for betraying public trust in politics
😡 Denied instructing falsification of political funds reports
😤 Locals want politicians to fully repent for misconduct
🙁 Another lawmaker Hori admitted to unreported surplus ticket sales
😔 Hori's office kept 876,000 yen in unreported surplus for 5 years
🤨 Hori claims he didn't know until party's kickback scandal surfaced
😩 Hori blames factional instructions for not reporting surplus
😫 Hori pledges to swiftly correct political funds reports

Q & A

What is the main location of the events described in the script?
-The main location is in front of JR Akashi Station in Hyogo Prefecture.
Which political party is involved in the scandal mentioned in the script?
-The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is involved in the scandal.
Who is continuing to apologize for the political fund scandal?
-The Minister of the LDP, Nishimura Yasutoshi, is continuing to apologize for the scandal.
What specific issue is Nishimura Yasutoshi apologizing for?
-He is apologizing for the kickbacks from party income to faction members.
How much in kickbacks did Nishimura Yasutoshi's political organization allegedly receive over five years?
-Nishimura Yasutoshi's political organization allegedly received kickbacks amounting to 1 million yen over five years.
What are the local citizens' reactions to the apology from Nishimura Yasutoshi?
-Local citizens are encouraging him to take the matter seriously and return to the original point, demanding a proper rectification.
What content is included in the leaflet distributed by Nishimura Yasutoshi?
-The leaflet contains an apology for causing political distrust among the citizens, but it clarifies that there were no personal income issues or so-called slush funds involved.
What stance does Nishimura Yasutoshi maintain regarding his involvement in the scandal?
-Nishimura Yasutoshi maintains his innocence, stating he neither directed nor approved any wrongdoing related to the political funds or financial reports.
What is the public's perception of Nishimura Yasutoshi's situation?
-The public's perception seems to have deteriorated, as evidenced by the decrease in people gathering around him compared to the past.
What did Horii, the Foreign Minister, reveal about party ticket sales?
-Horii revealed that there were excess sales of party tickets amounting to 876 times the normal amount over five years, which were not reported in the official records.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Political Scandal at Akashi Station

In front of Akashi Station, Hyogo Prefecture, many commuters witness Minister Zenji Nishimura from the Liberal Democratic Party addressing a political scandal involving backdoor money. Nishimura, one of Abe's five, apologizes to the local citizens of Akashi for the kickbacks to his political group, amounting to 1 million yen over five years. He denies involvement in personal income or so-called backdoor money and insists on his innocence. The issue revolves around Abe faction members and accountants being questioned, though no immediate action against Nishimura and other senior Abe faction members. The local reaction is mixed, with some demanding accountability for any amount of backdoor money. At a press conference, Minister Horiiwa from Abe's cabinet discusses an issue of excess party ticket sales, with undisclosed amounts from past years. Horiiwa's office acknowledges keeping the funds without declaration, following faction directives. The situation reflects a decline in public trust and the need for political transparency.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Political funds

The video mentions 'political funds' (政治資金) multiple times. These refer to monetary contributions made to politicians and political parties, often by corporations. The funds are supposed to be used for legitimate political activities but are sometimes misused or redirected illegally in 'kickback' schemes, which is a central issue discussed in the video.

💡Kickbacks

'Kickbacks' (キックバック) refers to the practice of politicians improperly or illegally redirecting portions of political funds back to themselves or their affiliates. The video alleges that several politicians received kickbacks totaling hundreds of thousands of yen from political funds over several years.

💡Accounting irregularities

The politicians are accused of 'accounting irregularities' (会計不備) by failing to properly document or disclose the kickbacks in financial reports, hiding them from public view.

💡Faction

Japan's political landscape has long been dominated by 'factions' (派閥) within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which compete for power and influence. The video mentions the 'Abe faction' (安倍派) - a major faction whose members are implicated in the kickback scheme.

💡Apology

In response to the scandal, several politicians including a Cabinet minister have held press conferences to offer public 'apologies' (謝罪) for their involvement, seeking forgiveness.

💡Public distrust

A central concern is that the kickback schemes and attempted cover-ups have bred 'public distrust' (国民の不信) towards the government and ruling party, threatening their legitimacy.

💡Resignation

While some politicians like the Cabinet minister have only apologized, others have been forced to offer their 'resignations' (辞任) and withdraw from politics due to the severity of their involvement.

💡Cleansing

In response, the LDP has promised a 'cleansing' (浄化) of the party to remove corruption, though some critics remain skeptical of real reforms being implemented.

💡Moral failure

At its core, the scandal is seen as reflecting a broader 'moral failure' (道義的責任) and lack of ethics among the political elite, raising doubts about their fitness to govern.

💡Betrayal of public trust

The kickbacks and cover-ups amount to a 'betrayal of public trust' (国民の信頼の背信), showing disdain for transparency and accountability to voters.

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