Mr Hatoyama, whose family is so fabulously rich that his mother has helped bankroll his political career, blamed a longstanding employee for sloppy book-keeping.

• 鸠山由纪夫家世显赫出身豪门，甚至其母曾为其政治事业提供资金。事发后，鸠山指出问题出在其负责会计事物的官派秘书的记载上。