Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was expected to announce the sacking of four ministers on Wednesday over a major party financing scandal, media reports said.
Those to be axed include Kishida’s right-hand man, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, and Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister of economy, industry, and trade, the reports said.
Others are internal affairs minister Junji Suzuki and agriculture minister Ichiro Miyashita, plus five deputy ministers, several media cited unnamed government and party sources as saying.
Kishida, 66, whose ratings have plummeted since taking office in October 2021, was expected to announce the decision at a news conference scheduled at 6:15 pm local time (0915 GMT).
All those set to be fired are from the largest faction within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades.
Prosecutors are reportedly investigating claims that around 500 million yen ($3.4 million) in kickbacks went to members of the faction, which used to be headed by assassinated ex-premier Shinzo Abe.
Matsuno, who is also the chief government spokesman, on Wednesday, declined to give details but said Kishida will “take necessary measures from the viewpoint of recovering public trust”.
“Prime Minister Kishida has said the public trust in the government is shaking as a result of various issues having been pointed out over political fund-raising parties,” Matsuno told reporters.
Asked about the allegations about his own role, Matsuno said he would “take appropriate measures” after his political group investigates the allegations.
