LDP slush fund case: Former lawmaker sentenced in public trial for the first time

(Taipei, June 23) Former Japanese Upper House lawmaker Yasumasa Oono and his former secretary were indicted for allegedly failing to report 51.54 million yen received from the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) largest former faction. Oono was fined by the district court today, marking the first time a former lawmaker has been sentenced in a public trial in a slush fund case.

The LDP, Japan's ruling party, was previously involved in a political funding misreporting scandal (commonly known as a slush fund scandal). Twelve individuals related to the case were investigated by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's Special Investigation Department (referred to as the Tokyo District Special Investigation Department), including four former national lawmakers.

A series of related scandals also led to the dissolution of five LDP factions, excluding the "Shikokai" (Aso faction).

Oono and his former secretary, Yoshiko Iwata, are suspected by prosecutors of conspiring between 2018 and 2022 to fail to report a total of 51.54 million yen in income from fundraising parties that exceeded their fundraising quotas, which was funneled back from the "Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyukai" (former Abe faction). This income was allegedly not properly recorded in their political funds income and expenditure reports.

As a result, prosecutors indicted Oono and Iwata in January 2024 on suspicion of violating the "Political Funds Control Act" (similar to a political funding law).

According to Japan's TBS television, Oono stated during the ongoing trial, "I deeply regret that the public has lost trust in politics, and I apologize again profoundly," but he maintained his innocence, arguing that he "had no knowledge of the false reporting."

On the other hand, the prosecution argued, "These actions have caused the public to lose trust in politics, the offense is malicious, and the responsibility of a national lawmaker is considerable," requesting the Tokyo District Court to sentence Oono to a fine of 1.5 million yen.

The Tokyo District Court announced its verdict today, sentencing Oono to a fine of 600,000 yen (approximately NT$120,000) and Iwata to a fine of 200,000 yen (approximately NT$40,000).

Former lawmakers Yaichi Tanigawa and Manabu Horii, who were previously affiliated with the former Abe faction, had previously been fined by the court for their involvement in slush fund cases. At that time, their cases were handled through simplified written procedures without public trials.

This marks the first time a former lawmaker has been formally sentenced by a court in a public trial in this series of slush fund cases, according to reports.

Kyodo News reported that the Tokyo District Court today determined that Oono and Iwata had only falsely reported funds for 2022, and were acquitted for the years 2018 to 2021.

Following this, the verdict for former Lower House member Yoshitaka Ikeda and his secretary Kazuhiro Kakunuma is also expected. Ikeda was also a member of the "former Abe faction." (Compiled by Yang Wei-ching) 0623