Prosecutors are considering building criminal cases in January against accountants of two factions of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party over a political fundraising scandal, prior to the start of the ordinary parliament session, sources said Sunday.
As prosecutors deepen their probe into allegations that the factions created slush funds through off-the-book revenues earned from fundraising parties, they are also considering whether to build cases against two LDP lawmakers who are suspected of receiving tens of millions of yen under the scheme.
The factions in question are the LDP's biggest, the 99-member group formerly led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and another led by former LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai.