Photo/Illutration Katsuyuki Kawai (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Two aides to lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party were indicted on vote-buying charges on March 24 in connection with the Upper House election held in July 2019.

Hiroshi Tatemichi and Shinsuke Takaya are accused of exceeding the legal limit in payments given to staff who rode in campaign cars and shouted out the name of the candidate, Anri Kawai, in the Hiroshima prefectural district.

Tatemichi, 54, is an official aide to Kawai, but he previously worked as an aide to her husband, Katsuyuki, a Lower House member also with the LDP.

Takaya, 43, serves as a policy aide to Katsuyuki, who resigned as justice minister after a magazine reported on the shady payments to the campaign staff.

Possible guilty verdicts against the two aides would have political ramifications for Anri, who won her first seat in the Diet in the 2019 election.

The Hiroshima District Public Prosecutors Office on March 24 also identified Tatemichi as playing a key organizational role in Anri’s campaign. That designation means that a further judicial move could be made to invalidate Anri’s election victory last year if Tatemichi is not only found guilty but is also given a prison sentence.

The finalizing of such a sentence, even if it is suspended, would allow prosecutors to seek an invalidation under provisions of the Public Offices Election Law.

Sources close to the investigation said that during questioning, Tatemichi has said that Katsuyuki played a key role in coordinating campaign activities on behalf of his wife.

Tatemichi said that Katsuyuki “was in charge and gave out instructions for various aspects” of her campaign, the sources said.

Regarding the payments to the campaign staff riding along in the cars, Tatemichi has told investigators that it was his understanding that Katsuyuki knew of and approved the payments, the sources said.

Yugo Waki, a senior member of Anri’s campaign staff who was arrested along with Tatemichi and Takaya but not indicted, has also told investigators about Katsuyuki’s leading role in the campaign.

However, both Tatemichi and Waki have not gone into detail about Katsuyuki’s involvement concerning the amount paid to the campaign staff as well as the means by which they received the money, the sources said.

Related News