Japan Panel Nixes Decision Not to Indict Lawmaker over Funds

Tokyo, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese panel of citizens has voted against a decision by public prosecutors not to indict lawmaker Hiroyuki Kada over a slush funds scandal at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office will reinvestigate the case of Kada, a member of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, and consider again whether to seek criminal punishment. In its decision dated Sept. 25, the panel for the inquest of prosecution said that prosecutors did not conduct enough investigation, demanding an examination of whether Kada is responsible for gross negligence, given his supervisory duty over political funds reports. The same inquest panel in Tokyo also voted against a decision not to indict people related to Kada, including administrative and accounting officials. The panel’s examination was requested by a university professor accusing Kada of violating the political funds control law by failing to record in political funds reports between 2020 and 2022 kickbacks totaling 6.48 million yen from the now-defunct LDP faction once led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]