Prosecutors Indict Two Secretaries Of Lawmakers


Prosecutors indict two secretaries of lawmakers

Prosecutors in western Japan have indicted two secretaries of Upper House member Anri Kawai and her husband on charges of violating the election law. They are also seeking to nullify her election win based on guilt by association.

The Hiroshima District Public Prosecutors Office on Tuesday indicted Hiroshi Tatemichi, a secretary for Anri Kawai, and Shinsuke Takaya, a secretary for former justice minister and Lower House member Katsuyuki Kawai.

The two men are suspected of paying campaign staffers more than the legal limit during Anri Kawai's successful run for the Upper House last July.

Tatemichi has reportedly admitted to the charges, while Takaya is denying them.

Prosecutors have also asked the Hiroshima District Court to try to judge within one hundred days whether actions by Tatemichi, whom they see as the campaign's manager, invalidate Kawai's win.

Based on Japanese election law, if Tatemichi were given a prison sentence or harsher penalty, and the court approved the prosecutors' request to apply guilt by association, Anri Kawai would lose her Diet seat.

Prosecutors have also questioned the Kawais several times on a voluntary basis as part of their investigation.

Anri Kawai issued a statement on Tuesday saying she has cooperated sincerely with prosecutors, but does not know details of their investigation so she will closely watch how the trial proceeds.