Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga was grilled by opposition lawmakers Wednesday over whether he made inaccurate claims at the Diet last year about a potential breach of laws on gift-giving by his predecessor.
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is under fire after sources told local media his office helped cover the costs of annual dinner parties for supporters, in a possible violation of funding and election laws and in direct conflict with Abe's vehement denials at the Diet last year.
Media outlets including public broadcaster NHK have said Abe's office helped cover a shortfall of about ¥8 million over the last five years of his tenure to hold the parties at high grade hotels, citing people close to the former prime minister.