TOKYO • Former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe will not be charged over allegations his political funding group illegally subsidised parties for hundreds of voters in a case casting a shadow over the current prime minister.

Tokyo prosecutors in a statement yesterday said that one of the former premier's aides has been summarily indicted - a move that could lead to a fine of up to about US$10,000 (S$13,300) - for failing to record financial details relating to the use of the funds.

The scandal over the gatherings held at a Tokyo hotel the night before an annual publicly funded cherry blossom viewing party has tarnished the image of current Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who served as Mr Abe's right-hand man throughout his record term of almost eight consecutive years in office.

With less than a year to go before the next election must be called, Mr Suga, who defended Mr Abe over the allegations, has seen his support slump due to the scandal and diminishing public confidence over his handling of the pandemic.

Voter support tumbled to 39 per cent in a December survey by the Asahi newspaper, compared with 56 per cent a month earlier.

Mr Abe, who stepped down in September for health reasons, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing over the gatherings. He may be summoned to Parliament today to face questions over the issue, Kyodo News said.

Towards the end of 2019, Mr Abe faced stiff questioning in Parliament from opposition members over the cherry blossom parties.

While it is highly unusual for a former Japanese prime minister to be convicted of a crime, Kakuei Tanaka was convicted of bribery charges in the Lockheed case in 1983. The former premier received a prison sentence, but died while his case was still on appeal.

BLOOMBERG