不記載「派閥の指示」　地検聴取に秘書ら説明―安倍派パーティー収入問題

　自民党の最大派閥「清和政策研究会」（安倍派）が政治資金パーティー収入の一部を議員側に還流させ裏金化していたとされる問題で、所属議員の秘書らが東京地検特捜部の任意の事情聴取に、「派閥の指示で還流分を政治資金収支報告書に記載しなかった」と説明していることが１３日、関係者への取材で分かった。
　岸田文雄首相が会長を務めていた「宏池政策研究会」（岸田派）もパーティー収入不記載の疑いがあり、金額は昨年までの５年間で計数千万円だったとみられることも判明。派閥側の不記載を中心に捜査している特捜部は、資金の流れや収支報告書作成の経緯などを慎重に調べている。（2023/12/13-15:25）

Secretaries of lawmakers belonging to the Japanese ruling party's largest faction have told investigators that they did not record kickbacks from the faction in political funds statements at the instruction of the faction, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
   The Liberal Democratic Party faction, formerly led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, set sales quotas for fundraising party tickets depending on the number of times its member lawmakers were elected and their positions, distributing excess revenues to the lawmakers as kickbacks.
   The excess amounts allegedly were not reported in political funds statements as expenses of the faction or as income by receiving members.
   A majority of Abe faction members are believed to have received such slush funds, which are believed to total some 500 million yen between 2018 and 2022.
   Investigators from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office have so far questioned people related to the faction, including secretaries of member lawmakers, on a voluntary basis.