Ten or more of the 99 lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's largest faction are suspected of having received over ¥10 million each in kickbacks from fundraising-party revenues and failing to record the money in required reports, it was learned Sunday.
On Saturday, the special squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office began questioning lawmakers of the Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyukai faction on a voluntary basis — the same faction once run by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The special investigation squad will ask related lawmakers — mainly those who received large kickbacks — their views of the nature of the money and how it was used, according to informed sources.