Japan Press Weekly

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2022 December 21 - 2023 January 10 [POLITICS]

LDP lawmaker resigns due to political funds scandal revealed by Sunday Akahata

Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Sonoura Kentaro on December 21 resigned from the House of Representatives and the party over his political funds scandal which was exposed by Sunday Akahata.

The March 21, 2021 issue of Sunday Akahata revealed that in April 2019, Sonoura, who served as a special advisor to Prime Minister Abe at the time, held a fundraising party but mentioned nothing about the party in his political funding report. Following the Akahata revelation, an allegation surfaced that Sonoura’s political organizations understated the income procured from fundraising parties by 40 million yen in their political fund reports, which is currently under investigation by a special squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office.

Later in the same day, Japanese Communist Party Diet Policy Commission Chair Kokuta Keiji at a press conference in the Diet building commented on Sonoura’s resignation.

Kokuta pointed out that after Sunday Akahata’s scoop 18 months ago, Sonoura became a target of a criminal investigation, but the ruling LDP appointed him to responsible positions. Kokuta stressed the need for a thorough probe into Sonoura’s scandal as he failed to explain the reason why he resigned as a lawmaker. Kokuta added, “Every time LDP lawmaker-related scandals are brought to light, the LDP does nothing to prevent a recurrence other than forcing the person in question to quit the party. This is a serious and ongoing problem.”

Kokuta said, “With the 1994 revision of the Political Funds Control Law, corporate and organizational donations to individual politicians are prohibited. However, many loopholes still exist in the revised law. This allows donations from corporations and organizations to political party branches and donations in the form of sales of fundraising party tickets. In order to eliminate corporate and organizational donations, it is necessary to close the loopholes.”