Amid intense scrutiny over expensive business trips and using an official car for personal travel, Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe has once again found himself embroiled in scandal, this time involving a possible violation of political funding laws.

In an article published Wednesday by the weekly Shukan Bunshun magazine titled "Masuzoe Tochiji Ketsuzei Takari no Rireki" ("Gov. Masuzoe's History of Freeloading on Taxpayer Money"), the magazine wrote that, on Jan. 3, 2013, and Jan. 2, 2014, Masuzoe paid a total of ¥371,100 at a resort hotel in Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, expensing them as "conference fees" paid through his political fund group Global Network Kenkyukai. But according to an unnamed hotel staffer interviewed by the publication, the governor was vacationing with his family, adding that he played with his child in a swimming pool and stayed in luxury rooms.

Similarly, the high-profile academic-turned-politician, known as an avid art collector, bought art-related goods for over ¥9 million, including nearly ¥2 million from a dealer based in Tokyo. But when describing the outlays in an expense report from between 2012 and 2014, he listed the purchased items as "supplies" and "expendables."

Under the Political Funds Control Law, politicians must report detailed use of political funds to the internal affairs ministry and election administration commission. False claims made in the reports are punishable by up to five years in prison or ¥1 million in fines.

Still, Tomoaki Iwai, a political science professor at Nihon University and an expert on funding in politics, says there is little chance that the 67-year-old governor will face prosecution over the latest scandal. Iwai said this is because the law says nothing about how the funds — a large of portion of which are public — should be used.

The scandal once again highlights how loopholes in the law make it possible for politicians to channel taxpayer money into private, non-political activities, allowing the politicians to use them largely for whatever they want, he said.

"False claims" in the law have been invoked in the past only for inflows, not outlays, Iwai added.

"The Political Funds Control Law mandates politicians report expenses accurately," Iwai said. "His 'conference fee' claims might have been false. But in reality, the alleged amount is relatively small, which means law enforcement will probably not go after him. He can also argue he made an honest mistake, with the personal expenses inadvertently slipping in. He can probably correct the report and get away with it."

Iwai said the scandal should trigger a larger debate over flaws in the system instead of just focusing on the governor's personal problems.

"Similar scandals can happen anytime in the future," he said. "We should talk about why things like this keep happening."

Masuzoe, who served as an Upper House member from 2001 until 2013 and who has been the governor of Tokyo since February 2014, said Wednesday that he "has instructed his staff to examine the documents" and that he will "comment when the probe is complete."

Earlier this week, Masuzoe, faced by a barrage of criticisms over the earlier scandals, said he will no longer use an official car to visit his villa in Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Since May last year, Masuzoe has used the government-owned car 48 times to travel between the villa and his office at the Tokyo metropolitan government building, as well as other work offices.

Masuzoe had argued that he spent time at the property preparing for his official duties and recovering from hip surgery, which he said serves the interests of the people of Tokyo.

Speaking on television on Monday night, however, the governor said he now plans to cut down the number of trips he makes to the villa.