Megumi Hirose, a member of Japan's Upper House and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, faced fraud allegations in July 2023. Prosecutors suspected she defrauded the government by claiming a salary for an aide who did not perform any work.
Hirose returned to her home in Tokyo after the prosecutors searched her office and residence. She promised to provide a full explanation later.
Meanwhile, reporters gathered outside her local office in Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture. The entrance was blocked with cardboard boxes, and staff members declined to comment.
Hirose, a lawyer by profession, won her seat in the Iwate electoral district in 2022 with the backing of the LDP. However, a weekly magazine reported in March 2023 that her registered aide was not actually working.
Hirose denied the allegation in a statement on her website. She claimed that the aide's wife worked remotely and performed various tasks, including creating and updating supporter lists and driving Hirose to and from the station.
This incident marked the second scandal involving Hirose in a short period. In March 2023, another weekly magazine reported on her alleged affair. Despite the controversy, Hirose refused to resign from the Diet or leave the party. She expressed her determination to regain the trust of her supporters and voters.