Accusations and Upper House of Parliament

Amari: Amari said last week he had done nothing illegal and is expected to hold a news conference on Jan. 28 to respond to the accusations in greater detail. "I want Amari to continue carrying out the important work that he has done, including work on TPP," Abe said in the Upper House of parliament. "Amari is investigating the accusations and I expect him to explain the situation fully." The media report about alleged bribes comes at a sensitive time, with policymakers grappling with a sell-off in Japanese stocks, a rising yen and questions of whether more monetary easing is needed, according to Asahi Shimbun. A spokesman also said the government is preparing to send Amari to a meeting next week in New Zealand on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade bloc, in another sign the government wants to keep Amari in the Cabinet. Amari, a core member of Abe economic policy team, is under fire for a media report that he and his aides had accepted money from a construction company in exchange for helping the firm receive compensation for disputes over land ownership and waste removal at a public works site. Amari has played a crucial role in crafting Abe stimulus policies, dubbed "Abenomics," and in negotiating for the TPP agreement. Amari has spearheaded the administration pro-growth policies and called for increased spending on items such as more childcare facilities. Some economists have expressed concern that Abe economic policy would lose focus without Amari leadership. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.