Japan arrests former head of school operator with ties to PM Abe’s wife – media

TOKYO: Japanese prosecutors today arrested the former head of a school operator with ties to Akie Abe, the wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on suspicion of illegally receiving subsidies, media said, reviving a months-old scandal.
Abe’s public support is crumbling, hit by scandals over suspected cronyism, a defence ministry cover-up that forced the resignation of his protege, former defence minister Tomomi Inada, and voter perceptions of his growing arrogance.
Prosecutors in the western city of Osaka arrested Yasunori Kagoike, former chief of educational institution Moritomo Gakuen, and his wife, Junko, for fraudulently receiving state subsidies to build an elementary school, Kyodo news agency said.
In applying for the subsidies, Moritomo Gakuen submitted a document showing building costs of 22 million dollar, but the figure was suspected to have been padded to attract greater subsidies, Kyodo quoted unnamed investigative sources as saying.
Before his arrest, Kagoike had denied any wrongdoing, the agency added.

Reuters