Asia-Pacific

Reports: Powerful Japanese lawmaker indicted

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-01-31 15:58

TOKYO - Japanese media reports say a powerful lawmaker from Japan's ruling party has been indicted over a funding scandal.

Kyodo News agency and public broadcaster NHK say Ichiro Ozawa was indicted Monday. Ozawa founded the Democratic Party of Japan and engineered its historic rise to power.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said during public budget hearings that he was aware of the indictment, but declined to comment further.

The case goes back to a Tokyo land deal. Several of Ozawa's aids had already been charged with violating political funding control laws by falsifying records.