Former Abe faction treasurer given suspended three-year jail time period

The Tokyo District Court on Monday sentenced a former treasurer of a now-defunct faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to 3 years in jail, suspended for 5 years, for underreporting political funds totaling ¥670 million between 2018 and 2022.

Junichiro Matsumoto — the treasurer of what was then the party’s largest faction, which the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had led — was discovered responsible in a case tied to a serious political funds scandal that the LDP has been mired in since late final 12 months.

With Matsumoto being discovered responsible and Shigeru Ishiba, who has been crucial of the conduct that led to the funding scandal, being elected as the brand new LDP president on Friday, the party could also be hoping it will probably clear up its picture and sit up for a looming normal election.