1.5-M.-Yen Fine Sought for Ex-Lawmaker Ono over Funds Scandal

Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese public prosecutors on Thursday sought a fine of 1.5 million yen against former Japanese lawmaker Yasutada Ono, who allegedly failed to record a portion of revenue in his political funds reports, in a high-profile political funds scandal involving factions of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. In the trial at Tokyo District Court, prosecutors also sought a fine of 500,000 yen against Ono’s former secretary Yoshiko Iwata, 62. Both Ono, 66, and Iwata have pleaded not guilty. The court will hand down a ruling on June 23. According to the indictment, Ono and Iwata failed to report in 2018-2022 a total of 51 million yen in kickbacks from a now-defunct LDP faction once headed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in violation of the political funds control law. In the scandal, criminal charges have been pressed against 12 people including four who were then members of the Diet, the country’s parliament. Of the total, eight including the chief accountant of a former faction have received guilty rulings or summary orders. Ono is the first indicted former Diet member to stand trial, and the amount he allegedly failed to report is the largest among the former lawmakers involved. Other former Diet members charged in relation to the scandal include Yoshitaka Ikeda, 59, who was arrested and indicted along with a 47-year-old former secretary for failing to report a total of about 48 million yen. Ikeda’s first hearing has yet to be scheduled. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]