Justice vice-minister Hiroki Abe accused of funneling political funds to himself, family shrine

TOKYO (TR) – Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s newly reshuffled cabinet is already taking on water. Following the abrupt resignation of Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana over an intimidation scandal, a new financial scandal has surfaced involving a high-ranking justice official accused of pocketing political funds.

Hiroki Abe, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Justice and the Cabinet Office, is facing allegations of brazenly funneling political donations to himself and his relatives through questionable rental agreements.

Abe, a medical doctor and Shinto priest who serves as a rising star in LDP Vice President Taro Aso’s faction, was recently hand-picked for the vice-minister role. However, financial disclosure reports from his political branch reveal a direct and unapologetic self-enrichment scheme.

According to the reports spanning 2022 to 2024, Abe’s political branch paid 40,000 yen every month directly to “Hiroki Abe” to rent a compact car that he personally owns. Over three years, the payments totaled approximately 1.44 million yen. The branch also footed the bill for the vehicle’s auto insurance and a hired driver. Shukan Post Oct. 30

Funneled substantial cash

Hiroshi Kamiwaki, a professor at Kobe Gakuin University who monitors political funding, pointed out the highly suspicious nature of the arrangement.

“Renting a personally owned car to your own political branch for a fee strongly suggests an intent to funnel political funds back to yourself,” Kamiwaki said. “He could have provided the vehicle for free and recorded it as a deemed donation to balance the books at zero. Instead, he chose to pay himself.”

The 40,000-yen monthly fee aligns perfectly with the estimated monthly loan repayment for the vehicle, suggesting Abe is effectively using political funds to pay off his private car loan. Furthermore, locals report Abe is frequently seen using the chauffeur-driven car while conducting private duties as the chief priest of the Kotohira Shrine in Fukutsu City, Fukuoka Prefecture—a clear violation if political funds are financing private religious work.

The self-dealing extends into real estate. The branch reports paying Abe 14,300 yen a month for personal “parking fees.”

Additionally, Abe’s political branch funneled substantial cash into a local religious corporation, Suwa Shrine. The branch paid the shrine 110,000 yen a month for office rent, alongside monthly rental fees for a laptop (4,400 yen) and a copy machine (6,600 yen).

An investigation into Suwa Shrine revealed deep ties to the lawmaker. The chief priest of Suwa Shrine is Abe’s cousin, who also served as the accountant for Abe’s political branch in 2022.

Adding to the blatant nepotism, Abe himself is the chief priest of the sister Kotohira Shrine, which historically shares the exact same office and phone number as Suwa Shrine. Through this arrangement, Abe has effectively been using political donations to pay office rent, utilities, and equipment fees to his own family’s religious operation.

The embattled lawmaker’s office has yet to provide a public explanation regarding the misappropriation of funds.

Published in News , Politics and Tabloid

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东京（TR）——首相高市早苗新改组的内阁已初见端倪。继农业大臣矢名一​​夫因恐吓丑闻突然辞职后，又爆出一起涉及高级司法官员的金融丑闻，该官员被指控私吞政治资金。

司法部副大臣兼内阁府副大臣安倍弘树面临指控，称其通过可疑的租赁协议，肆无忌惮地将政治捐款输送给自己及其亲属。

安倍晋三是一位医生兼神道教祭司，也是自民党副会长麻生太郎派系中的一颗冉冉升起的新星，最近被钦点担任副大臣一职。然而，其政治分支的财务披露报告却揭露了他公然且毫不掩饰的敛财行为。

据2022年至2024年期间的报道，安倍的政治部门每月直接向“安倍弘树”支付4万日元，用于租赁他个人拥有的小型汽车。三年间，总计支付约144万日元。该部门还承担了车辆的汽车保险和雇佣司机的费用。《周刊邮报》10月30日

输送了大量资金

神户学院大学教授、政治资金监管专家上胁博史指出，这种安排非常可疑。

“将私家车租给自己所属的政治分支机构并收取费用，这强烈暗示着他意图将政治资金转移回自己手中，”神胁说道。“他本可以免费提供车辆，并将其记为捐赠，从而将账目平衡为零。但他却选择了给自己支付报酬。”

每月4万日元的费用与该车辆的预估月供完全吻合，这表明安倍实际上是在利用政治资金偿还其私人汽车贷款。此外，当地居民反映，安倍经常乘坐这辆由司机驾驶的汽车，履行其作为福冈县福津市琴平神社住持的私人职责——如果政治资金被用于资助私人宗教活动，这显然违反了相关规定。

这种自肥行为甚至延伸到了房地产领域。该分行报告称，每月向安倍支付14300日元的个人“停车费”。

此外，安倍的政治部门还向当地宗教法人组织诹访神社输送了大量资金。该部门每月向神社支付11万日元的办公场所租金，以及笔记本电脑（4400日元）和复印机（6600日元）的月租金。

对诹访神社的调查揭露了其与这位国会议员的密切关系。诹访神社的住持是安倍晋三的表弟，并且曾在2022年担任安倍政治部门的会计。

更令人瞠目结舌的是，安倍本人还是姊妹神社琴平神社的住持，而琴平神社历史上与诹访神社共用同一办公室和电话号码。通过这种安排，安倍实际上是利用政治捐款来支付其家族宗教机构的办公租金、水电费和设备费用。

这位陷入困境的议员办公室尚未就挪用公款一事作出公开解释。

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