Former Japanese ruling party lawmaker Megumi Hirose has been indicted without arrest for defrauding the state of approximately 3.5 million yen. The charges stem from her claiming salary expenses for a secretary who did not perform any duties. Hirose, a 58-year-old former lawyer, resigned from her position as a member of the House of Councillors on August 15th. In response to the indictment, she issued a statement offering an apology and confirming that she has returned the full amount to the state with interest.
During voluntary questioning by Tokyo prosecutors, Hirose admitted that one of her secretaries had not carried out any tasks. Her office revealed that this secretary had been registered for about one year starting in December 2022. Hirose, who won her upper house seat in 2022, initially claimed that funds were allocated to pay this second secretary’s salary in order to cover office expenses. She later stated that the secretary had performed tasks remotely.
It is important to note that no conclusion can be drawn from this article regarding Megumi Hirose’s guilt or innocence as it only presents factual information about her indictment and subsequent statements made by both parties involved.
© KYODO