The Saitama Prefectural Chapter of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Japan has initiated legal action against its former secretary general, Yoshio Kotayano, claiming that he misappropriated political funds amounting to around 30.62 million yen. This lawsuit, filed at the Saitama District Court on January 29, follows allegations that Kotayano, who has been expelled from the party, used party funds for personal purposes over a period spanning five and a half years. The prefectural chapter asserts that there were 1,350 instances of improper use totaling approximately 27.84 million yen, in addition to legal fees.

The chapter’s investigation indicates that the amount misused was significantly abnormal when compared to past expenditures by previous secretary generals, and many of the claims—specifically at least 94 cases of dining expenses—lack any connection to the chapter's activities. The LDP’s prefectural leadership has emphasized that Kotayano has failed to provide reasonable explanations for these expenditures, suggesting a violation of fiduciary obligations expected from someone in his position.

This situation arose after an internal investigation by the chapter last year confirmed Kotayano's misappropriation of about 28 million yen. The prefectural chapter also reported the case to the Urawa Police Station for indictment related to suspected breach of trust, which has been formally accepted, indicating serious potential legal repercussions for Kotayano as this situation develops further.