Japan's justice minister decides to resign
10:58, 19 October 2012
TOKYO. October 19. KAZINFORM Japanese Justice Minister Keishu Tanaka has decided to resign after admitting to have had ties with an organized crime syndicate, local media reported Friday.
Keishu Tanaka, 74, is making arrangement to tender resignation to the Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in the near future, Xinhua informed.
Tanaka last week admitted a report in a magazine that he acted as a matchmaker for a senior member of an organized crime group and also gave a speech at a group party hosted by its leader around 30 years ago.
Tanaka skipped a Cabinet meeting Friday morning for "health reasons".
Tanaka will be the first Cabinet member to quit since Noda's reshuffle on Oct. 1.