OFFICIAL LINKED TO ROW ON ABE IS FOUND DEAD

Tokyo, March 9: A Japanese finance ministry official linked to the cronyism allegations dogging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was found dead, local media said on Friday.

A second key official stepped down over the scandal, the finance minister confirmed late on Friday, as the damaging issue refuses to go away. Police are investigating the death of the official in Kobe in western Japan and suspect he committed suicide, with some media reporting a suicide note had been found.

A police spokesman could not immediately confirm the reports.

The unidentified official, found dead on Wednesday, was at the heart of a scandal over the cut- price sale of governmentowned land to a close friend of Abe, the reports said.

He was responsible for the 2016 sale of a plot of land in Osaka to the right- wing operator of a kindergarten at a price well below market value.

Separately, finance minister Taro Aso told reporters that another senior official involved in the scandal, Nobuhisa Sagawa, decided to step down after lawmakers and taxpayers demanded his resignation.

Sagawa was promoted to head the tax agency in July, after holding a post overseeing the finance ministry division that negotiated the deal.

“Sagawa is a capable individual,” said Aso.

“He said he wants to resign to take responsibility for the troubles caused.” In addition to the resignation, Sagawa will have 20 per cent of his severance package docked for three months as punishment.