岸田首相、森元首相関与を重ねて否定　裏金事件、立民は衆院解散要求

　岸田文雄首相（自民党総裁）は５日の衆院内閣委員会で、派閥裏金事件を巡る森喜朗元首相への聞き取りを今週に入って自ら行ったと明らかにした上で、「（裏金づくりへの）具体的な森氏の関与を確認することは何もなかった」と改めて強調した。立憲民主党の山岸一生氏への答弁。
　首相は「今週の頭の段階で、電話を通じて私が話を聞かせてもらった」と説明。萩生田光一前政調会長の処分について森氏とやりとりしたかどうかを尋ねられたのに対し「それはなかった」と応じた。それ以外の内容は明かさなかった。
　首相はまた、「政治資金規正法の改正をこの国会で実現するなど、政治改革へ努力を続けたい」と語った。共産党の塩川鉄也氏への答弁。
　一方、自民の浜田靖一、立民の安住淳両国対委員長が国会内で会談。安住氏は衆参両院に近く設置される政治改革特別委員会に首相が出席し、処分の基準などを説明するよう要求した。自民は持ち帰った。安住氏は記者団に「解散・総選挙をするしかない。国民に問うしかないところに来ている」と述べ、衆院解散に踏み切るよう要求した。（2024/04/05-12:40）

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, also president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Friday denied former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's involvement in a high-profile slush funds scandal involving LDP factions.
   At the day's meeting of the Cabinet Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, Kishida said, "At the beginning of this week, I asked (Mori about the scandal) over the phone."
   "There was nothing concrete to confirm" that Mori had been involved in the practice of creating slush funds at an LDP faction previously headed by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Kishida said. Many believe that Mori was involved in the scandal, as he had previously served as head of the faction.
   Kishida also voiced his determination to implement political reform measures, including enacting a bill to revise the political funds control law during the ongoing parliamentary session.
   Kishida's statements came a day after the LDP leadership team decided punishments against 39 party members over the scandal. Mori was not included in the list of those facing punishments.