Japan's top prosecutor tenders resignation over gambling scandal

Japan's second-highest ranking prosecutor tendered his resignation on Thursday after admitting that he played mahjong with reporters for money this month, despite social distancing rules being in place to combat COVID-19.

According to Japan's Justice Minister Masako Mori, the Cabinet on Friday will accept Hiromu Kurokawa's request to relinquish his position as chief of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office.

The senior prosecutor played mahjong on May 1 and May 13 for money with two reporters working for the Sankei Shimbun newspaper and an employee from the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, according to a scoop carried in the online edition of the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine on Wednesday, prior to the print version being released the following day.

Reports claim that Kurokawa played mahjong a total of four times with the reporters after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared the state of emergency for Tokyo and several other prefectures on April 7.

Mori described Kurokawa's actions as being "truly inappropriate and extremely regrettable." She added that he had been formally admonished for his wrongdoing.

Kurokawa, for his part, said in a statement that he was "deeply reflecting on his thoughtless actions."

Kurokawa hit the headlines in January when the Cabinet permitted him to remain in his post despite having reaching the retirement age of 63 for prosecutors.

Amid criticism of his tenure being extended past the retirement age, a possible breach of the law regarding the Public Prosecutors Office, the government along with the ruling coalition set about trying to push legislation to revise the law to raise the retirement age for prosecutors to 65.

The controversial move was met with a harsh backlash of condemnation from opposition parties and the public.

As for Kurokawa's gambling gaffe leading to his resignation Thursday, the former top prosecutor could be facing criminal charges and slapped with a fine of up to 500,000 yen, as Japanese law prohibits unauthorized gambling.