Photo/Illutration A ticket and accompanying document for a fund-raising party organized in May 2023 by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party faction once headed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Yosuke Takashima)

Prosecutors have begun questioning lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in connection with a political funds scandal that has torn the heart out of the Kishida administration hierarchy. The scandal embroiled four Cabinet ministers, all of whom resigned. 

Investigative sources said the questioning of members belonging to the largest faction in the LDP began Dec. 16 and is being conducted on a voluntary basis.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is looking into the accumulation of a “slush fund” created through money collected for fund-raising parties organized by the LDP faction once led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Sources said that Abe faction members were given quotas to fill for ticket purchases to its fund-raising parties. The size of the quotas depended on how long the members had served as Diet members or if they held an LDP or faction post.

The amounts that went beyond the quota for each faction member were placed in the slush fund and eventually paid back to the member. The amount in the slush fund and the kickbacks paid to faction members were apparently not listed on the political fund reports of the Abe faction or of individual lawmakers, a violation of the Political Fund Control Law.

For the most recent five-year period, the Abe faction is suspected of having compiled a slush fund of about 500 million yen ($3.5 million).

Prosecutors had until now questioned officials handling accounting for the Abe faction as well as aides to the lawmakers suspected of receiving the kickbacks. This was done on a voluntary basis.

Sources said prosecutors are ramping up their investigation by directly questioning lawmakers about how the money flowed from the faction to their respective offices, why the money was not listed as income for the political group headed by the lawmaker and how the money was used.

The lawmakers will likely be questioned based on the sums allegedly received, with those receiving the largest kickbacks quizzed first.

Sources said a large majority of the 99 members of the Abe faction received kickbacks, with the figures ranging from about 50 million yen to as little as several tens of thousands of yen.

Prosecutors did not reveal the names of those being questioned.

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