‘Off-the-Books Funds’ May Have Been Routine in Abe Faction; Ruling Party Group Has Come Under Scrutiny by Prosecutors

The special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is investigating the Abe faction, the largest faction of the Liberal Democratic Party, on suspicion that it improperly returned part of the proceeds of ticket sales for political fund-raising events to faction members. The squad is considering prosecuting the case as a violation of the Political Funds Control Law.
The amount of proceeds omitted from or falsely stated in income and expenditure reports on political funds is estimated to have reached several hundred million yen over the past five years. It is possible that “off-the-book funds” have been a regular practice at the faction.
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