TOKYO, Dec 19, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Japanese prosecutors on Tuesday raided offices of the ruling party over a funding scandal that forced Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to replace four ministers last week, local media reported.

Public broadcaster NHK aired footage of investigators entering a building that houses the offices of the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which is reeling from reports that officials took kickbacks of 500 million yen ($3.4 million).

LDP secretary general Toshimitsu Motegi described the raids as "extremely regrettable", telling reporters at a press conference that the party will take "necessary measures while observing the fate of the investigation."

Kishida last week sacked four ministers, including the top government spokesman and the ministers of economy and industry over failure to report political funds as required by law.

All four ministers were from the LDP faction previously headed by ex-premier Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated last year.

Tokyo public prosecutors are also probing other factions of LDP, local media have reported.

Prosecutors have begun interviewing officials in charge of accounting in the factions and will begin interviewing dozens of lawmakers, the reports said.

Kishida's poll ratings are the worst for any premier since the LDP returned to power in 2012, dragged down by voter anger about inflation, as well as his handling of a string of earlier scandals.

The latest poll published by Jiji Press agency on Thursday showed public support for Kishida's cabinet at just 17.1 percent, down 4.2 percentage points.