WORLD : Ex-Minister in Japan Charged
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TOKYO — Prosecutors formally charged a former Cabinet minister with fraud today in the latest scandal to hit Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party.
Former Environment Minister Toshiyuki Inamura was charged with evading tax totaling $12.5 million on profits he made in association with Mitsuhiro Kotani, a flamboyant speculator and corporate raider arrested in June and accused of manipulating stock prices.
Chief Prosecutor Yusuke Yoshinaga said Inamura made as much as $20 million in stock deals between 1986 and 1988.
Inamura, who served in former Premier Yasuhiro Nakasone’s Cabinet in 1986-87, resigned his party membership Wednesday. Nakasone resigned from the LDP last year for his involvement in the Recruit influence-peddling scandal.
Inamura is expected to retain his parliamentary seat, as did Nakasone and his right-hand man, Takao Fujinami. Fujinami is the only LDP member to be charged in the Recruit scandal.
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