Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Hatoyama admitted Tuesday that his political fund management body used the names of dead people to make false statements in its funding reports, and offered a public apology.
"I deeply regret that such a thing has happened," he said at a news conference, while denying that he has any intention of stepping down as leader of the main opposition party.
Hatoyama said the incident may have some effect on the upcoming general election, which is widely expected to take place in August, but he added he will try hard to keep the impact to a minimum.