Japan PM decides finance official accused of sexual harassment must be sacked: paper

[TOKYO] Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided that a top finance ministry bureaucrat accused of sexually harassing several female reporters must be fired, the daily Sankei newspaper reported on Monday.

It did not cite a source for its report.

The weekly Shincho reported last week that Administrative Vice Finance Minister Junichi Fukuda went drinking with a female reporter recently at a bar near his house and asked to touch her breasts and kiss her. The magazine quoted Mr Fukuda as denying the allegations.

Asked by reporters on Monday to comment on the allegations, Mr Fukuda said: "I will issue a comment today so please look at that." He did not elaborate.

Finance Minister Taro Aso told a parliamentary panel last week that Mr Fukuda had spoken to him about the matter.

Mr Fukuda said he met many people in a private capacity and it was not possible to verify every interaction but that he would be careful not to "be misunderstood" from now on, Mr Aso said.

REUTERS