Tokyo prosecutors raid LDP lawmaker’s home on suspicion of salary fraud

Tokyo prosecutors have searched the home and offices of Megumi Hirose, 58, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and an Upper House lawmaker, on Tuesday, on suspicion of defrauding the central government by providing one of her secretaries with a salary even though they did no work.

Hirose’s Tokyo office and residence were both searched, as was her office in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, which she represents. Prosecutors plan to question Hirose on a voluntary basis in the coming days to seek answers surrounding the secretary’s work status and the flow of funds related to their salary.

“I do not yet understand the situation fully, so I will respond properly once I have a clear understanding,” Hirose told reporters following the search.

Sources revealed that from 2022 to 2023, Hirose registered the wife of her primary secretary also as a secretary, who reportedly performed no work duties. The amount of money Hirose is suspected of embezzling for the woman’s salary could potentially reach several million yen.

In March, when suspicions regarding the woman secretary’s salary were reported in the Shukan Shincho weekly magazine, Hirose said that the claims made in the article were groundless.

“On weekdays when she (the wife) was in Tono City, (Iwate Prefecture), she worked remotely as back office support, creating and updating lists of supporters obtained by Mr. A (the primary secretary) during his external activities, and drafting congratulatory messages for events where Mr. A attended on my behalf. When necessary, she also performed administrative tasks at the Morioka office on weekends,” she wrote on her website.

This is the second scandal involving Hirose in recent months. On March 5, Hirose admitted to having an affair with a Canadian saxophone player after Shukan Shincho reported the incident earlier in February. She later apologized and resigned as vice president of the LDP’s Iwate chapter.

In July 2023, Hirose was also involved in controversy when she and other members of the LDP’s Women Affairs Division posted pictures of themselves sightseeing and dining during an official tour of France, generating a social media backlash.

Hirose, a lawyer from the city of Morioka, was first elected to the House of Councillors in 2022.