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| Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Finance Minister Taro Aso are under pressure over the scandal |
Japan's finance minister admitted Monday that official papers related to a favouritism scandal dogging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had been altered, but denied any plans to step down over the row.
Abe's
government has faced mounting pressure in recent days over the 2016 sale of
state-owned land to one of his supporters at a price well below market value.
Speaking to
reporters outside his office, the prime minister "deeply" apologised
to the public for this "incident that could shake confidence" in
government operations.
"I
take people's criticism sincerely and want Finance Minister (Taro) Aso to be
responsible for pushing ahead with an investigation to fully reveal why this
kind of incident happened," added Abe.
Earlier
Monday, Aso told a hastily arranged press conference: "Changing official
documents is very grave and extremely regrettable and I deeply apologise."
"What
is important is that these things don't happen again," Aso added.
The scandal
first emerged early last year, but resurfaced after the revelation that
official documents related to the sale had been changed.
Versions of
the original and the doctored documents published Monday by opposition lawmakers
appeared to show Abe's name had been scrubbed, along with that of his wife
Akie, and Aso.
Aso blamed
the alterations on "some staff members" at the ministry, and said he
had only learned about them on Sunday.
But he
batted off suggestions he might resign over the scandal.
"I am
not thinking about that at all," he said, adding he did not believe the
alterations were intended to protect Abe and his wife.
Abe called
on his finance minister and close ally to make his "utmost efforts to
rebuild the organisation (finance ministry) so that this never happens
again".
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Japan's
Finance Minister Taro Aso (C) has dismissed suggestions that he might
resign
over the scandal
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'Debased
democracy'
The
opposition immediately went on the attack over the affair. "What became
clear is that they debased democracy," by lying to parliament, said
opposition lawmaker Renho, who uses one name.
Opposition
politicians have alleged that the buyer of the land -- a right-wing operator of
private schools -- was able to clinch the sale at such a favourable price
because of his ties to the Abe family.
The
operator had named Akie Abe the honorary principal of the school he was
planning to build on the government plot.
Aso said
the documents were doctored to be "coherent" with a speech made in
parliament by the head of the tax agency Nobuhisa Sagawa, who stepped down on
Friday over the scandal.
Sagawa was
head of the finance ministry department that oversaw the land deal, before
being promoted last year to tax agency chief.
"It is
possible that Sagawa ordered the alterations," the Mainichi Shimbun
newspaper said, citing government sources.
Adding to
the pressure, a finance ministry official linked to the scandal was found dead
on Friday, although it is not clear if the reported suicide is linked to the
affair.
Abe has
consistently denied any wrongdoing and vowed to resign if he was found to be
involved in the land deal.
But a poll
released published Monday in the Yomiuri Shimbun showed his support dropping by
six percentage points from last month to 48 percent, the first reading under 50
percent since he won re-election in October.
Eight out
of 10 voters said the government was not responding appropriately to the allegations,
according to the survey conducted over the weekend among 1,036 voters.
The
allegations have also paralysed parliament in recent days, with some opposition
lawmakers boycotting debates.
Abe is
facing re-election as head of his ruling LDP party in September, which would
put him on course to be Japan's longest-serving premier.
Some
analysts have said the scandal could harm his chances although no serious
challenger to his rule have yet put themselves forward.
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