Disgraced architect Hidetsugu Aneha and seven of his associates were arrested Wednesday in a sweep of key figures linked to the building safety fraud that has rocked the country, but the specific charges they face as yet are not tied to the scam.
The eight are the first to be arrested in the scandal, which sent shock waves nationwide after scores of buildings were found to lack adequate structural integrity and were forced to close and residents of many had to vacate, but still pay their mortgages.
At the center is Aneha, 48, who has admitted designing dozens of buildings to substandard quake-resistance levels due to cost-cutting pressure from clients. The scandal broke in November.