TOKYO, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- A senior vice minister in the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigned Tuesday from the upper house of parliament for indiscretions related to a female acquaintance.
Hiroaki Nagasawa, who belonged to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) coalition Komeito Party ally, relinquished his position in the party as well, for allowing a female to stay in a housing complex for lawmakers, in violation of the party's rules.
Nagasawa, 59, is also expected to give up his role as a senior vice minister of the Reconstruction Agency forthwith, sources close to the party have confirmed.
According to party leader Natsuo Yamaguchi, Nagasawa admitted to the party's Secretary General Yoshihisa Inoue that he had "clearly broken the rules and acted indiscreetly by giving his female acquaintance a key to the complex."
Revelations of Nagasawa's indiscretion came to light following a weekly magazine contacting the party to ask questions on the indiscretion.
The magazine's inquiry led to Inoue quizzing Nagasawa on the issue and the two-term upper house member resigning to account for the scandal.
