LDP Lawmaker Yoshitaka Ikeda Arrested in Political Fundraising Scandal

The scandal has led to a significant drop in support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, with key figures within the party resigning.

Yoshitaka Ikeda, a lawmaker from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was arrested over allegations linked to a political fundraising scandal.
The scandal has significantly impacted support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, with his approval rating dropping to around 20% in mid-December.
Ikeda is suspected of having received a total of 48.26 million yen over five years from slush funds created by the faction formerly led by late prime minister Shinzo Abe.
The scandal has led to the resignations of several key figures within the LDP, including Hirokazu Matsuno, Yasutoshi Nishimura, and Koichi Hagiuda.
Prosecutors suspect the Abe faction failed to report as much as 500 million yen in funds over five years.