Japan prosecutors make first arrest in the political fundraising scandal sweeping the ruling party

Japanese prosecutors have made their first arrest in connection with a major political slush funds scandal that has rocked Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s already unpopular government

Japanese prosecutors made their first arrest Sunday in connection with a major political slush funds scandal that has rocked Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's already unpopular government.

Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office apprehended former vice-education minister Yoshitaka Ikeda on suspicion of failing to report fundraising proceeds he received from his faction within the governing Liberal Democratic Party, according to officials and local media reports.

Ikeda’s faction, which used to be led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated in 2022, has remained the largest and most influential within Kishida’s ruling party. The faction is suspected of failing to report more than 600 million yen ($4.15 million).

The former minister was accused of not reporting the 40 million yen (about $276,500) he received from the faction as kickback from political event ticket sales, a violation of political funds control law, media reports say. Prosecutors declined to give details.

Kishida declined to comment on the investigation but said last month he took the investigation seriously and would do his best to regain public trust, including setting up an expert panel to strengthen fundraising regulations.