Shiozaki's office staffer embezzled Y6.3 mil

A staff member at Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki's parliamentary office has embezzled about 6.3 million yen in political funds and double booked expenses in funding reports in 2005 as a coverup, the lawmaker's office said Monday.


"I myself am very shocked and find it regrettable that something like this has happened," Shiozaki said in a statement. "I will deeply reflect on my responsibilities to manage and supervise, and will make utmost efforts to investigate the situation and prevent a recurrence." Shiozaki's office said the staff member embezzled political funds of the LDP branch in Ehime Prefecture's No. 1 constituency, which Shiozaki heads, for private use. In order to conceal the embezzlement, the staff member double booked 6.27 million yen of expenses registered in the office's election campaign expenditure report in 2005 into the LDP branch's political funding report the same year, the office said.