The church, whose members are known colloquially as Moonies, could be subject to a court order to disband as early as next month, pending the completion of an inquiry into the group’s controversial fundraising activities, according to the Kyodo news agency, which cited an unnamed government source.
The government has been investigating the church – formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification – over its fundraising activities, while battling a scandal over the group’s ties to Japanese politicians, particularly members of the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP).
In the months after Abe’s death, the media uncovered evidence that LDP politicians – and a much smaller number of opposition MPs – had ties to the group, from giving speeches at church-sponsored events to enlisting followers to work on election campaigns.
The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, whose trial on murder and other charges is not expected to start until next year, has reportedly told police he targeted the politician, whom he shot at close range with a homemade weapon at an election rally, because of his family’s ties to the Moonies.
Testimony by former members, court rulings in civil lawsuits and church documents showed the group demanded huge financial donations through “spiritual sales” – in which followers are pressured into buying items, such as vases, at exorbitant prices.
Japan has around 180,000 registered religious organisations, but only two have received dissolution orders: the Aum Supreme Truth doomsday cult, whose members carried out a deadly sarin attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, and the Myokakuji temple group, whose leaders were accused of defrauding followers.
The original article contains 674 words, the summary contains 265 words. Saved 61%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The church, whose members are known colloquially as Moonies, could be subject to a court order to disband as early as next month, pending the completion of an inquiry into the group’s controversial fundraising activities, according to the Kyodo news agency, which cited an unnamed government source.
The government has been investigating the church – formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification – over its fundraising activities, while battling a scandal over the group’s ties to Japanese politicians, particularly members of the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP).
In the months after Abe’s death, the media uncovered evidence that LDP politicians – and a much smaller number of opposition MPs – had ties to the group, from giving speeches at church-sponsored events to enlisting followers to work on election campaigns.
The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, whose trial on murder and other charges is not expected to start until next year, has reportedly told police he targeted the politician, whom he shot at close range with a homemade weapon at an election rally, because of his family’s ties to the Moonies.
Testimony by former members, court rulings in civil lawsuits and church documents showed the group demanded huge financial donations through “spiritual sales” – in which followers are pressured into buying items, such as vases, at exorbitant prices.
Japan has around 180,000 registered religious organisations, but only two have received dissolution orders: the Aum Supreme Truth doomsday cult, whose members carried out a deadly sarin attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, and the Myokakuji temple group, whose leaders were accused of defrauding followers.
The original article contains 674 words, the summary contains 265 words. Saved 61%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!