Key Facts
On April 21, 2025, Hiroshige Seko, former Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) House of Councillors, was summoned as a witness before the House of Councillors Budget Committee. The session focused on allegations of illicit kickbacks involving political funds from party ticket sales, a controversy tied to the former Abe faction. According to reports from Mainichi Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun, the inquiry aimed to clarify the circumstances surrounding the resumption of these kickbacks, which had been halted in April 2022 under the directive of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
During the session, Seko denied any agreement to resume cash kickbacks during an August 2022 executive meeting, reiterating his previous statements. He claimed that the consensus at the meeting was against such practices. However, discrepancies emerged as Masahiro Matsumoto, the former accountant for the Abe faction, stated that the meeting had set the direction for resuming the kickbacks. This contradiction highlighted ongoing inconsistencies in testimonies.
Seko further explained that by April 2022, some lawmakers had already sold more party tickets than required. To address this, a proposal was made for the faction to purchase the surplus tickets and return the funds to the lawmakers. He presented evidence of a subsequent exchange with Matsumoto via a messaging app, where he shared a list of 15 lawmakers who had exceeded their quotas. Matsumoto reportedly acknowledged the list, which Seko argued would not have occurred if cash kickbacks had been officially approved during the August meeting.
Despite Seko’s explanations, critics questioned his accountability and the lack of oversight within the faction. He admitted that no checks were conducted after the resumption of cash kickbacks and expressed regret for failing to address the issue adequately. Seko apologized, stating, “If I had taken responsibility as a leader, this would not have happened.”
The controversy has persisted for over a year and a half, with freelance writer Satetsu Takeda noting that the full scope of the issue remains unclear. He emphasized the need for testimony from all involved parties to prevent further evasions. Meanwhile, commentator Keiko Kojima speculated that the prolonged silence around certain individuals might indicate significant underlying pressures or interests.
On April 21, 2025, Hiroshige Seko, former Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) House of Councillors, testified before the House of Councillors Budget Committee regarding allegations of illicit kickbacks tied to political funds from party ticket sales. The controversy, linked to the former Abe faction, centers on the resumption of kickbacks that had been halted in April 2022 under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s directive.
Seko denied any agreement to resume kickbacks during an August 2022 executive meeting, asserting that the meeting’s consensus opposed such practices. However, Masahiro Matsumoto, the former accountant for the Abe faction, contradicted this, claiming the meeting set the direction for resuming kickbacks. Seko presented evidence of a messaging app exchange with Matsumoto, where he shared a list of lawmakers who exceeded ticket quotas, arguing this exchange would not have occurred if kickbacks had been approved.
Critics questioned Seko’s accountability, as he admitted no oversight was conducted after kickbacks resumed. He expressed regret, stating, “If I had taken responsibility as a leader, this would not have happened.” The issue remains unresolved, with calls for testimony from all involved parties to clarify the matter.
