Arrest of former Japanese minister could hasten PM Abe's departure, analysts say

TOKYO - The arrest of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's former justice minister could be a devastating blow for the Japanese leader whose support is near record lows, raising the possibility of his departure before the end of his term next year.

Tokyo prosecutors said in a statement that the couple paid 1.7 million yen to five people to get her elected.At the time, Anri Kawai's campaign received 150 million yen in funds from LDP headquarters. The size of the contribution, although not illegal, raised questions about whether Abe approved it.

"Huge amounts of money circulated in the dark," Noriko Saito, a 65-year-old Tokyo housewife, said about the latest scandal.Abe returned to the prime minister's office in December 2012. His third term as LDP leader, and hence premier, ends in September 2021.Ousting a prime minister is tough and Abe, who quit in 2007 after a troubled first term, may want to avoid a similarly hasty exit this time.

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