TOKYO, Aug 26 (NNN-NHK) – Japan’s former Justice Minister, Katsuyuki Kawai and his lawmaker wife, Anri Kawai, denied charges of vote buying, during the first trial held on the matter, at the Tokyo District Court.
Lower house member, Katsuyuki Kawai, is alleged by prosecutors, to have violated election law by giving cash to the tune of 29 million yen (270,000 U.S. dollars) to around 100 politicians and supporters in Hiroshima.
The money is alleged to have been given out by Kawai to secure votes for his wife, who won her seat in the upper house election in July, 2019.
Anri Kawai is belied to have conspired with her husband, on giving five individuals 1.7 million yen (16,000 U.S. dollars) in cash handouts, between Mar and June last year, according to prosecutors.
Tokyo prosecutors arrested the pair in June and they were indicted a month later.
Katsuyuki Kawai, with reference to handing out the money, told the Tokyo District Court, “It was not meant to ask them to vote or round up votes for my wife.”
Anri Kawai, for her part denied conspiring with her husband or that she handed out cash for the purpose of securing election votes.
“I never conspired with my husband or handed out cash to get elected,” she said. Anri Kawai added that, money given out by her husband was to show appreciation for the people running the elections and to congratulate the winners.
Prosecutors said, Kawai had taken charge of his wife’s election campaign in its totality, and had garnered support from local politicians and supporters “without considering how it appeared.”
They said, he had a list of illicit payments made, related to the election, on his computer, although had subsequently deleted it.
The pair have both resigned from Prime Minister Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and will be stripped of their seats in parliament, if found guilty.– NNN-NHK