Former Japan PM Abe apologises, corrects statements on funding scandal

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has corrected statements he had made in parliament, regarding a political funding scandal that has also cast a pall over the current premier. He on Friday apologised for what he said were mistakes.

The apology came after his secretary was on Thursday summarily indicted over the issue and fined 1 million yen ($9,650). Abe also filed corrected political funding reports for the last three years.

Abe said he felt deeply responsible for making repeated false denials that his political funding group had subsidised cherry blossom viewing parties for his supporters, in possible violation of the country's strict political funding laws.

Japan's longest-serving leader said he had known nothing about the payments and pledged to work to regain public trust.

"Even though the accounting procedures happened without my knowledge, I feel morally responsible for what happened," Abe told a parliamentary committee.

"I reflect on this deeply and apologise from my heart to the citizens and to all lawmakers."

Abe quit as prime minister on health grounds in September after serving nearly eight years as prime minister.

Abe's statements to parliament from the end of 2019 contradicted the findings of the prosecutors at least 118 times. The scandal threatens to damage his successor, Yoshihide Suga, who was Abe's right-hand man throughout his term and has defended his former boss in parliament.

The public apology marks a sharp reversal of fortune for Abe, a political blue-bloods whose grandfather and great-uncle also served as premiers.