Secretary to ruling party lawmaker to be indicted over fund scandal

Prosecutors have decided to indict a secretary to veteran ruling party lawmaker Koichi Hagiuda, overturning an earlier decision not to charge the aide over a failure to report about 20 million yen ($135,000) in political funds, investigative sources said Sunday.The move marks the first time that prosecutors have decided to pursue a criminal case, following a prosecution review panel decision, related to the Liberal Democratic Party slush fund scandal, reflecting persisting public frustration over the issue.Hagiuda was minister for economy and trade, among other responsibilities, under forme…READ FULL ARTICLE