Tokyo prosecutors raided the offices of former farm minister Takamori Yoshikawa on Friday over allegations that he received a total of ¥5 million from an egg production company in western Japan while in office.
Prosecutors searched his offices in Tokyo and Sapporo and confiscated documents. Yoshikawa, who resigned as a lawmaker earlier this week citing health reasons, has admitted to receiving cash during voluntary questioning, according to sources close to the matter.
The allegations against the 70-year-old politician, who served under Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's predecessor Shinzo Abe, are expected to hurt public support for Suga's government, whose approval ratings have recently plummeted over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.