Japan arrests ex-head of school operator over subsidy fraud

‘Japanese prosecutors have arrested the former head of a school operator with ties to Akie Abe, the wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on suspicion of illegally receiving subsidies, media says, reviving a months-old scandal.
Abe’s public support is crumbling, hit by scandals over suspected cronyism, a defense ministry cover-up that forced the resignation of his protégé, former defense minister Tomomi Inada, and voter perceptions of his growing arrogance.
Prosecutors in the western city of Osaka arrested Yasunori Kagoike, former chief of educational institution Moritomo Gakuen, and his wife, Junko, for fraudulently receiving state subsidies to build an elementary school, Kyodo news agency said.
In applying for the subsidies, Moritomo Gakuen submitted a document showing building costs of 2.38 billion yen ($22 million), but the figure was suspected to have been padded to attract greater subsidies, Kyodo quoted unnamed investigative sources as saying.’
Read more: Japan arrests ex-head of school operator over subsidy fraud