Tokyo
Tokyo prosecutors conducted raids on Tuesday at locations related to two major factions of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in connection with a burgeoning political fund scandal. The investigation focuses on the Seiwaken faction, previously led by late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and the faction led by former LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai. The Seiwaken faction is suspected of violating the Political Funds Control Law by not reporting kickbacks allegedly given to lawmakers’ offices. It is believed to have accumulated secret funds of around 500 million yen ($3.51 million) over the past five years. The other faction, led by Toshihiro Nikai, is also under scrutiny, with suspected slush funds amounting to 100 million yen. The investigation revolves around allegations that the factions failed to declare hundreds of millions of yen in fundraising party revenue in political funding reports. The funds were allegedly distributed to faction members, and the prosecutors are building cases against accountants associated with the factions. The scandal has led to the resignation of over 10 senior officials or heavyweight lawmakers from the cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the LDP. The fallout from the scandal has also contributed to a decline in the support rate for Kishida’s Cabinet, reaching a new low of 22.3 per cent in the latest survey, raising concerns about the administration’s stability.
