Japan Lawmaker Sonoura Questioned by Prosecutors over Funding

Tokyo, Dec. 14 (Jiji Press)--Japanese public prosecutors have questioned ruling party lawmaker Kentaro Sonoura on a voluntary basis over allegations that his political groups underreported income from fundraising parties, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

Political groups linked to the 50-year-old Liberal Democratic Party member in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, are suspected of underreporting income by about 40 million yen in violation of the political funds control law, the sources said.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has already questioned a secretary to Sonoura who has been in charge of accounting as part of its investigation into the allegations, the sources said.

A political fund management group headed by Sonoura booked 43.62 million yen in income from six fundraising parties held between 2018 and 2020.

A separate political group linked to the lawmaker booked about 10 million yen in income from three fundraising parties between 2017 and 2019.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]