Koichi Hagiuda, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s former policy chief, became the latest veteran lawmaker to be questioned on a voluntary basis over a political funds scandal, following four others.
Tokyo prosecutors are investigating allegations that the party’s largest faction — known as the Abe faction, having been led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — systematically underreported about ¥500 million in ticket sales for fundraising events in the five years through 2022.
The underreported funds were allegedly returned to lawmakers who sold more tickets than their allotted quota. While receiving kickbacks from fundraising events is legal, failing to report them properly is a violation of the political funds law.