Tokyo ? A scandal-tainted Cabinet member who headed Japan’s powerful agriculture ministry hanged himself just hours before he faced questioning Monday over alleged bookkeeping fraud.

The death of Toshikatsu Matsuoka dealt another blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ailing government at a critical time before the leader’s first big test at the polls in July.

An autopsy on Matsuoka, 62, showed he had hanged himself, according to a Tokyo Metropolitan Police official who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing policy. Matsuoka was found unconscious in his apartment shortly after noon Monday and declared dead hours later. He became the first serving Cabinet member to kill himself since World War II.

Matsuoka was criticized for a scandal involving suspicious bookkeeping practices and was scheduled to appear before a parliamentary committee Monday for questioning. He allegedly claimed more than $236,000 in utility fees even though he rented a parliamentary office where utility costs are free.

Matsuoka also faced separate scandals related to bid-rigging and political contributions, triggering calls for his resignation even from within his own ruling Liberal Democratic Party.