Prosecutors on Thursday arrested Masakuni Murakami, a powerful member of the LDP who quit the party last week in the midst of an ongoing scandal, for allegedly accepting bribes from mutual aid foundation KSD.
Murakami, 68, is suspected of receiving a some 72 million yen from KSD between 1996 and 1998. He quit the House of Councilors on Monday.
Murakami served as labor minister from December 1992 to August 1993 in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa. KSD is supervised by the Labor Ministry.