Aide to Matsuno to Resign for Traffic Offense

Jiji Press

16:07 JST, January 29, 2023

TOKYO — A publicly paid secretary to Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno will resign for driving under the influence of alcohol, Matsuno told reporters on Saturday.

The 49-year-old aide to Matsuno drove a car several hundred meters to his home on Friday evening after drinking alcohol alone at an eating and drinking establishment in Chiba City, according to Matsuno.

He was questioned by a police officer on his way home and tested positive for alcohol levels above the legal limit.

“I apologize unreservedly,” Matsuno said. “I take this case very seriously, as I failed to supervise him.”

The secretary is slated to submit a letter of resignation to the House of Representatives on Monday, Matsuno said.