Tokyo prosecutors search sites related to scandal-hit LDP factions

Tokyo, Dec 19 (IANS) Tokyo prosecutors on Tuesday raided locations related to two major factions of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) over the growing political fund scandal, local media reported.

The Tokyo Prosecutors Office has launched an official investigation into the faction previously led by late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which was suspected of violating the Political Funds Control Law by failing to report kickbacks allegedly given to the offices of lawmakers, Xinhua news agency quoted national broadcaster NHK's report as saying.

The faction, namely Seiwaken, or the Seiwa policy study group, was suspected to have pooled secret funds amounting to around 500 million yen ($3.51 million) over the past five years.

For the other searched faction led by former LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai, the slush funds are believed to have amounted to 100 million yen.

The prosecutors are attempting to build cases against accountants from the factions, alleging the groups failed to declare hundreds of millions of yen of fundraising party revenue in political funding reports, with the money going to faction members, sources said.

Five major factions were suspected of paying kickbacks to member lawmakers who sold fundraising party tickets above their quota, without recording the amount as revenue in its political fund reports.

In the wake of the unfolding scandal, over 10 senior officials or heavyweight lawmakers have stepped down from their positions in the cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida or the LDP.

The scandal has pushed the support rate for Kishida's Cabinet to a fresh low of 22.3 per cent in the latest survey by Kyodo News, signaling that the administration may be in the "danger zone".