Tokyo: Japanese ruling party member Kentaro Sonoura is considering quitting parliament if he is set to be charged with violating the political funds control law, people familiar with the matter said Sunday.

Political groups linked to the 50-year-old Liberal Democratic Party member in the House of Representatives are suspected of underreporting the amount of money collected through fundraising parties.

If Sonoura, deputy secretary-general of the LDP, resigns as Lower House lawmaker, there will be a further blow to the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is also LDP president, after three of his cabinet ministers stepped down in recent months.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is highly likely to summarily indict Sonoura, according to sources familiar with the matter. If he is convicted of violating the law and sentenced to fines or heavier penalties, his civil rights will be suspended.

A political funds management group for Sonoura reported 43.62 million yen in revenue from fundraising parties for 2018-2020, and an affiliated political group reported about 10 million yen in fundraiser revenue for 2017-2019.

But they are suspected of raising about 40 million yen more than reported.

Sonoura was first elected to the Lower House in 2005. He has held such key posts as state foreign minister under the administration of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

He is known as a close aide to LDP Vice President Taro Aso.

JIJI Press