Japanese media have revealed further issues related to questionable fund flows within organizations connected to Prime Minister and ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Sanae Takaichi.
According to Japanese media outlet Daily Shincho's report on Thursday, a financial report released on Nov 28 showed that a LDP chapter led by Takaichi accepted a political donation of 10 million yen (about 64,260 U.S. dollars) from a religious organization, which exceeded the legal maximum set by the political funds control law. Additionally, this religious organization donated 30 million yen to the same LDP chapter in mid-December last year, bringing the total amount to 40 million yen that accounts for over 20 percent of the chapter's annual income. The substantial sum has raised concerns.
According to an article published on Wednesday by another Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun, the financial report indicated that Takaichi's financial management group, the New Era Policy Research Association, made a payment of approximately 18.12 million yen to a company affiliated with another religious group on April 25 last year, which was labeled as "data entry work expenses".
On September 24 of the same year, the association also paid approximately 19.97 million yen for "envelope and newsletter printing and binding expenses". Overall, there were more than 10 transactions made to the company throughout the year.
Kobe Gakuin University Professor Hiroshi Kamiwaki said that Takaichi had requested this company to conduct data entry, indicating a close relationship between the two, as it involved providing personal information, such as lists of party members.
On Dec 4, Kamiwaki filed a complaint against Takaichi with prosecutors, saying the local chapter of the LDP in Nara Prefecture, represented by Takaichi, received a donation of 10 million yen from a Tokyo company on Aug 26 last year, surpassing the 7.5 million yen limit allowed by law for the donor on the basis of its registered capital.
The cases add to the ruling LDP's slush fund scandal, first revealed in 2023, in which some party factions of the LDP allegedly instructed member lawmakers to sell political fundraising party tickets beyond their assigned quotas without recording the amount as revenue in its political fund reports, and then funneled the surplus back to lawmakers as kickbacks, creating off-the-books funds.
Among the senior officials Takaichi appointed after taking office in October, seven have been linked to the LDP's slush fund scandal. Critics said her ambiguous stance on the scandal suggests limited willingness to push for fundamental reform.
More questionable fund flows in organizations connected to Japanese PM Takaichi revealed by media
More questionable fund flows in organizations connected to Japanese PM Takaichi revealed by media
