Four Japanese ministers tendered their resignations on Thursday over a major corruption scandal in the country’s ruling party. 

The cabinet crisis results from accusations of $3.4 million in kickbacks within the division-plagued Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled the third-largest economy in the world nearly continuously for decades. 

Ministers of Economy and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura, Internal Affairs Junji Suzuki, and Agriculture Ichiro Miyashita also tendered their resignations, as verified by chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

According to VOA, Matsuno, the main government spokesperson, stated that five deputy ministers and Michiko Ueno, the prime minister’s special adviser, were also leaving their positions. 

“The public’s doubts are around me over political funds, which is leading to distrust in the government. As an investigation is going on, I thought I wanted to set things right,” Nishimura told reporters. 

 Mr Kishida said a day before that he would deal with the allegations “head-on.” 

“I will make efforts like a ball of fire and lead the LDP to restore the public’s trust,” he told reporters.