Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama again proclaimed his innocence Thursday in a political funds scandal involving donations from his mother, telling the House of Representatives Budget Committee that he is ready to resign if the facts prove otherwise.
Prosecutors have revealed that Hatoyama's mother gave some ¥1.26 billion to the prime minister's fund management body from 2002 to 2008, with part of the money apparently disguised as donations from other people, even some deceased.
Two of Hatoyama's former secretaries have been arrested over the case, but Hatoyama has insisted he was not aware of any wrongdoing. When news of the mother's contributions surfaced, they were first deemed "loans," but Hatoyama last month agreed to amend his tax returns and pay more than ¥500 million in gift taxes.