TOKYO - Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike firmly denied allegations regarding her educational background during a regular press conference. She reaffirmed her graduation from Cairo University, supported by both her diploma and a certificate that she has made public.
The controversy surrounding Koike's credentials began with the publication of a book in May 2020, which questioned her claims of graduating from Cairo University. In response to these allegations, Koike's former close associate and the former Secretary-General of Tomin First no Kai, Toshiro Kojima, addressed the media on April 12th.
Kojima recalled a conversation from June 2020 where Governor Koike expressed concerns about her graduation certificates not putting an end to the scrutiny, suggesting that obtaining a statement from Cairo University could be beneficial. Shortly after this conversation, the Embassy of Egypt in Japan posted a statement on Facebook confirming Governor Koike's graduation.
Kojima criticized the timing and nature of this declaration, suggesting it was orchestrated by someone acquainted with the governor, thereby casting doubt on the authenticity of Koike's graduation.
During her press conference on Friday, Governor Koike countered the claims published in Bungei Shunju, insisting that she had graduated as acknowledged by the university and had previously disclosed her graduation documents. She lamented the timing of such allegations, which seemed to coincide with elections, implying political motives behind the repeated surfacing of these claims.
When questioned directly about her discussions with Kojima or if she was advised to issue a statement, Koike was non-committal, mentioning only her past deliberations on how to address ongoing suspicions and not recalling the specifics clearly.
Source: ANN
