Informed sources say a secretary of Lower House member Ikeda Yoshitaka told prosecutors about being instructed by Ikeda to destroy evidence. Ikeda was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of violating the political funds control law.

Ikeda is a member of the largest faction of the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party, once led by late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. The LDP has decided to expel Ikeda from the party.

Tokyo prosecutors allege that Ikeda's office received kickbacks worth about 48 million yen, or about 333,000 dollars, from the faction in the five years through 2022, and that he conspired with a policy secretary to falsify political funds reports.

It has been disclosed that data storage devices in Ikeda's office and other places were destroyed before Tokyo prosecutors searched them last month.

Informed sources say the devices had been damaged, apparently with tools. Parts of smartphone messages sent among Ikeda's staff were also erased.

The sources also say Ikeda is suspected of directly receiving kickbacks from the faction in cash and managing them himself.