Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that the list of this year's cherry-blossom viewing party guests was destroyed according to schedule, and denied allegations that it was somehow related to the disclosure request from an opposition lawmaker, media reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd December, 2019) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that the list of this year's cherry-blossom viewing party guests was destroyed according to schedule, and denied allegations that it was somehow related to the disclosure request from an opposition lawmaker, media reported.According to Japan's NHK broadcaster, Abe made the remarks in the upper house of parliament while responding to a question from a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Abe added that the digital data also could not be restored, emphasizing that the government considered changing the period of time for which such lists were kept.
The cherry-blossom viewing party is a decades-old tradition in Japan when the prime hosts thousands of guests via taxpayer funds. The guests usually include prominent politicians, business figures, famous artists, entertainers and athletes.
This year's event, held on April 13, has been marred by a scandal surrounding the government's overspending. The documents containing the list of guests were shredded on May 9, the same day when an opposition party member asked for disclosure.
The scandal aroused questions regarding the parties held in recent years. An opposition member claimed that the former chairman of a health equipment company called Japan Life, Masayoshi Yamaguchi, attended the party in 2015. This company was suspected of fraudulent business practices the year before.
The government has reportedly canceled next year's event. It was previously canceled in 2011 due to an earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima disaster; and in 2012 after North Korean threatened to fire a ballistic missile.
