Former agriculture minister Takamori Yoshikawa of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party submitted a letter of resignation as a lower house member Tuesday to lower house Speaker Tadamori Oshima, who approved it the same day.
Yoshikawa, 70, cited health problems as the reason for his resignation, but the renunciation is being viewed as taking responsibility for allegations of receiving bribery.
Because the Diet is not in session, the resignation was approved by Oshima alone, instead of during a parliamentary plenary session. A by-election for Hokkaido's No. 2 constituency will be held on April 25 in accordance with the Public Offices Election Law.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is investigating Yoshikawa on suspicion of his receiving a total of 5 million yen in cash from a former head of major egg producer Akita Foods Co., based in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, during his tenure as the agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister from October 2018 to September 2019.
According to sources, the former chief of Akita Foods admitted to providing the cash in a voluntary interview with prosecutors. However, Yoshikawa's political fund income and expenditure report does not indicate any cash provided by the former head.
Yoshikawa belongs to the Nikai faction in the LDP and has won a seat in the House of Representatives six times. He was appointed acting chairperson of the LDP's Election Strategy Committee when Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's administration was formed in September, but Yoshikawa resigned from that post on Dec. 2.
Yoshikawa is currently hospitalized for treatment of chronic heart failure and other ailments. He announced Monday his intention to resign, saying it would be difficult for him to fulfill his duties as a Diet member.
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