Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa vowed Saturday to fight on despite the arrests of his key aides over a political funds scandal that could hurt voter support ahead of July's Upper House election.
During the DPJ's annual convention in Tokyo, Ozawa accused prosecutors of conducting an "unacceptable" investigation that has resulted in the arrests of three of his former aides for failing to declare in his political funds report ¥400 million that was used to buy a Tokyo land plot in 2004.
Prosecutors suspect that part of the money may have come from illegal donations from construction companies in return for favors in a dam construction project in Iwate Prefecture, Ozawa's political base.