Shinzo Abe's assassin talks of 'grudge' against a religious group

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassinator said that he attacked Abe as he believed he had close ties to a religious group to whom his mother donated a huge amount of money, media reports said.

According to Japan's local media, NHK, investigative sources said that the suspect told police that his mother sold land without family's consent and donated the proceeds to a religious group.

The suspect reportedly has a grudge against the group and is believed to have attacked Abe on the belief that the former PM had close ties to it.

The 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya told police that his mother had become an avid follower of the group, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, and made huge donations to it that ruined the family.

As per the sources, Yamagami's mother joined the group around 1998. Land register records show that she inherited two properties in Nara City from her father in October that year, and sold them by the following June. She later declared bankruptcy, as per the media portal.

However, in its defence, the group while addressing a news conference said that it has no record of asking the family for huge donations after the mother went bankrupt.

The group added that people make donations on their own will, and decide the amounts.

Abe was attacked on Friday morning in the Japanese city of Nara during his campaign speech. Yamagami approached the politician from behind and fired two shots from a distance of about 10 meters (33 feet).

The attacker reportedly plotted the assassination of the 67-year-old former head of government for nearly a year.

The Japanese government has decided to award former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with the country's highest order posthumously.

The Japanese government has decided to award former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with the country's highest order posthumously. Abe will receive the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, Japan's Kyodo News reported. The longest-serving PM of Japan will be the fourth former prime minister to receive the decoration under the postwar Constitution.

( With inputs from ANI )

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