Photo/Illutration Isshu Sugawara speaks to reporters in January. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

A lawmaker in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who admitted that his aides repeatedly broke the law by offering condolence money at wakes and funerals of local constituents will not be indicted. 

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on June 25 decided not to indict Isshu Sugawara, 58, who had been accused of violating the Public Offices Election Law.

Prosecutors suspended the indictment procedure, citing that the former economy minister himself handed out condolence money in many cases.

“Based upon social convention, it did not go beyond being a courtesy,” the prosecutors concluded.

At a news conference on June 16, Sugawara admitted that his aides violated the law by distributing about 300,000 yen ($2,800) on average over the course of a year, between 2017 and 2019.

He then apologized for the actions of his aides, while insisting he would not resign his Diet seat or leave the LDP.

The prosecutors said they took his public admittance and apology into consideration before making their decision.

Sugawara resigned as the economy minister in October 2019 after a weekly magazine ran a report about his aide giving money at a constituent’s wake in Tokyo and leaving condolence money.

Although the Public Offices Election Law prohibits a Diet member from giving anything of value to constituents, an exception is made for offering money at wakes and funerals if the lawmaker personally attends and presents the offering.

The law prohibits a Diet member's aide from doing so, however.

Sugawara at the news conference said, “In 90 percent of the cases, I attended a wake and funeral and offered condolence money. There were instances when aides attended in my place to present the offering because I was unable to attend.”

A weekly magazine has also reported that Sugawara gave expensive gifts such as melons and crabs to constituents in violation of the Public Offices Election Law.

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