Police on Wednesday searched the offices of a youth exchange association headed by former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on suspicions that it fraudulently received 250 million yen in government subsidies.
Investigators from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department searched the World Youth Visit Exchange Association, a nonprofit organization based in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on suspicion of receiving the money by padding expense accounts.
Association officials told police some of the money was used to cover expenses, including personnel costs, and by members of its staff for eating and drinking, but most is unaccounted for, according to sources close to the investigation.