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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Crying Japanese politician resigns as investigation into expenses broadens | Crying Japanese politician resigns as investigation into expenses broadens |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A provincial Japanese politician filmed sobbing while trying to explain his profligate use of public funds resigned on Friday as an investigation into the expenses scandal was expanded. | |
| Ryutaro Nonomura became a viral sensation last week when he was filmed wailing and banging his fists on a desk as tears streamed down his face at a press conference. | Ryutaro Nonomura became a viral sensation last week when he was filmed wailing and banging his fists on a desk as tears streamed down his face at a press conference. |
| On Friday the regional assembly in Hyogo, western Japan, accepted the 47-year-old's resignation. | |
| "Political parties in the assembly filed a criminal complaint against the assembly member," said Eiji Kurita, from the assembly's secretariat. | "Political parties in the assembly filed a criminal complaint against the assembly member," said Eiji Kurita, from the assembly's secretariat. |
| Nonomura, who was elected in 2011, is suspected of misusing 3m yen (£17,300) of official allowances for political activities. | Nonomura, who was elected in 2011, is suspected of misusing 3m yen (£17,300) of official allowances for political activities. |
| He allegedly spent the money in travel expenses on 195 trips in one year, including 106 visits to the same hot spring resort, but failed to produce a receipt or a report on them. | He allegedly spent the money in travel expenses on 195 trips in one year, including 106 visits to the same hot spring resort, but failed to produce a receipt or a report on them. |
| In trying to explain how he spent the money at a news conference on 1 July, Nonomura shouted almost incoherent excuses in between sobs, punctuated by long intakes of breath. | In trying to explain how he spent the money at a news conference on 1 July, Nonomura shouted almost incoherent excuses in between sobs, punctuated by long intakes of breath. |
| Looped footage of the conference has drawn less than favourable comments from guests on television chatshows as it was repeated over and over. Social media users have rapidly shared the images worldwide while comedians have mocked him. | |
| Nonomura has refused to talk to the media since. | Nonomura has refused to talk to the media since. |
| The assembly secretariat has expanded its investigations into about 8m yen which Nonomura has allegedly spent in travel expenses on 345 trips he made in the past three years, according to media reports. | The assembly secretariat has expanded its investigations into about 8m yen which Nonomura has allegedly spent in travel expenses on 345 trips he made in the past three years, according to media reports. |
| He has reportedly told officials that he had "deleted all data" on the trips from his personal computer and that he could not remember them at all. | He has reportedly told officials that he had "deleted all data" on the trips from his personal computer and that he could not remember them at all. |
| The episode has shocked the national political scene in which corruption has been a perennial matter. | The episode has shocked the national political scene in which corruption has been a perennial matter. |
| "Isn't he rare for presenting such a big topic of interest," the chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga told a regular media briefing on Friday. "I think he should fulfil his responsibility for explaining his case before leaving his post." | "Isn't he rare for presenting such a big topic of interest," the chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga told a regular media briefing on Friday. "I think he should fulfil his responsibility for explaining his case before leaving his post." |