12 angry Japanese sue lawmakers

In hope of eradicating corrupt politics, 12 Japanese citizens filed a criminal complaint on Thursday with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office against 10 lawmakers of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, focusing on allegations of secret funds and tax evasion.

The accused lawmakers include five prominent members of the Abe faction within the LDP, identified with the late former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Former chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno and former economy, trade and industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura are on the list.

Allegations suggest that several LDP factions redirected funds exceeding the sales quota for party tickets back to some of their lawmakers as slush funds, with no record of the entire financial flow in the financial statements of the factions or their members. As a result, the lawmakers evaded income tax on the sales revenue.