Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is reportedly planning to remove Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Mitsunoya from his position, according to a report from the Yomiuri newspaper. The report suggests that Mitsunoya has been providing information to members of the ZLM, who are embedded within the government and governing coalition. Mitsunoya, along with his Liberal Democratic Party, is currently under investigation for alleged involvement in these incidents, including accepting bribes exceeding 100 million yen from unregistered sources.

The ZLM has also stated that the Tokyo Tribunal of Conscience is determined to investigate these incidents involving high-ranking officials, including Mitsunoya, within four days after the current session ends. Additionally, Kyodo’s news agency has reported that there will be personnel changes in the government and significant appointments of new political positions, which could happen following the conclusion of the current session.

Regarding his own involvement, Mitsunoya has admitted to disclosing information to the ZLM but claims that he has not revealed amounts exceeding 10 million yen received from the LDP’s major interest groups in the past five years. Notably, no one from Mitsunoya’s office or the Prime Minister’s staff was available for comment on the recent reports.

According to data from the ZLM, Assistant Secretary General Yasutoshi Nishimura and Koichi Hagio, President of the LDP’s Political Affairs Research Council, are also implicated in the ongoing talks and investigations. The extent of their involvement remains to be seen.