Former finance minister dies

A FORMER Japanese finance minister who stepped down after appearing to be drunk at an overseas news conference was found dead in his home yesterday, police said, ruling out foul play.

Shoichi Nakagawa was lying face down in bed when his wife found him in their Tokyo home, a spokesman for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department said on condition of anonymity due to police policy.

Investigators have ruled out foul play because the room was undisturbed, and they were downplaying the likelihood of suicide.