The 95-year-old leader of a secretive South Korean church has been arrested as authorities widened an investigation into allegations that he illegally recruited thousands of followers into the conservative People Power Party to influence elections.

(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean court has acquitted a religious sect leader of charges that he deliberately disrupted the government’s anti-virus response early last year after thousands of his worshippers were infected with the coronavirus. Lee’s church, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, issued a statement denying his wrongdoings and confirming plans to appeal. More than 5,000 of South Korea’s 70,212 coronavirus cases were linked to Lee’s church. Officials on Wednesday announced 90 newly confirmed cases in Hebei province, whose capital Shijiazhuang has accounted for the vast majority of recent cases. ___MEXICO CITY — Mexico has posted another high for its daily increase in coronavirus cases, with 14,395 newly confirmed infections and a near-record of 1,314 more deaths.

Lee and his church have steadfastly denied the accusations, saying they're cooperating with health authorities. Japans capital recorded 472 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the third straight day of record numbers. Nationwide, the daily count of coronavirus cases in Japan totaled a record 1,579 on Friday. Across the country, authorities are rushing to test people who have returned home from the coastal city. Of the 40 new cases reported Saturday, 32 are from Da Nang hospitals and six are from local community transmissions in the city.

More than 5,200 of South Koreas 13,672 COVID-19 cases have been linked to the church so far. Earlier, South Korean health officials were optimistic the countrys COVID-19 outbreak is coming under control. The 60 new cases reported Friday included 39 linked to people arriving from abroad. Japan has so far avoided the massive cases of the hardest hit nations, at fewer than 24,000 confirmed cases and about 1,000 deaths. The other cases reported in mainland China were all imported.