TOKYO, October 4 (RIA Novosti) - The suicide or killing of former Japanese finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa, found dead in his home on Sunday, is unlikely, police said after an autopsy.

Nakagawa, 56, was forced to step down after appearing to be drunk at a G7 news conference in February.

His body was found by his wife in the bedroom of their home in the Setagaya district of Tokyo on Sunday.

Nakagawa caused a political storm after slurring his words and appearing to be drowsy at a news conference during a meeting of the Group of Seven finance ministers in Rome in February.

He claimed that he had taken too much cold medicine, and although he admitted that "he had been sipping wine during lunch," he brushed aside speculation he was drunk.