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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Tokyo’s Governor Resigns Amid Scandal | Tokyo’s Governor Resigns Amid Scandal |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| TOKYO — The governor of Tokyo, who led his city’s winning bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games, resigned Thursday amid a scandal involving more than half a million dollars that he received from a hospital operator during an election. | TOKYO — The governor of Tokyo, who led his city’s winning bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games, resigned Thursday amid a scandal involving more than half a million dollars that he received from a hospital operator during an election. |
| Since the scandal broke last month, the governor, Naoki Inose, had denied that the money was for political purposes, saying it was a personal loan. However, inconsistencies in his explanations, often given at news conferences where he perspired profusely, only helped add to calls for his resignation. | Since the scandal broke last month, the governor, Naoki Inose, had denied that the money was for political purposes, saying it was a personal loan. However, inconsistencies in his explanations, often given at news conferences where he perspired profusely, only helped add to calls for his resignation. |
| This week, those calls reached the top tiers of government when members of the governing Liberal Democratic Party began expressing concerns about possible disruptions to Tokyo’s preparations for the Games. After the resignation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought to reassure voters, and the world, that there would be no such impact. | This week, those calls reached the top tiers of government when members of the governing Liberal Democratic Party began expressing concerns about possible disruptions to Tokyo’s preparations for the Games. After the resignation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought to reassure voters, and the world, that there would be no such impact. |
| “The people of Japan are all of one mind in wanting to make 2020 the best Olympics,” said Mr. Abe, who also campaigned for the Games. “This will not be affected” by the resignation. | “The people of Japan are all of one mind in wanting to make 2020 the best Olympics,” said Mr. Abe, who also campaigned for the Games. “This will not be affected” by the resignation. |
| Despite weeks of denials and convoluted accounts, Mr. Inose was never able to explain fully why he had received the huge sum in cash from the hospital company, Tokushukai, during his election race to become governor last December. | Despite weeks of denials and convoluted accounts, Mr. Inose was never able to explain fully why he had received the huge sum in cash from the hospital company, Tokushukai, during his election race to become governor last December. |
| While he said it was a personal loan that he had returned without spending, the Tokyo city assembly was preparing to launch an inquiry into whether the money was a bribe to help the company get building permits for new hospitals. With Mr. Inose’s resignation, that investigation may now move into the hands of the Tokyo prosecutor’s office. | While he said it was a personal loan that he had returned without spending, the Tokyo city assembly was preparing to launch an inquiry into whether the money was a bribe to help the company get building permits for new hospitals. With Mr. Inose’s resignation, that investigation may now move into the hands of the Tokyo prosecutor’s office. |
| Adding to the suspicions was the fact that the hospital company’s owner gave Mr. Inose the money immediately after meeting him for the first time. |