Staffers of ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Mito Kakizawa are under investigation for illegally paying campaign workers as the probe into his activities regarding the April election for mayor of Koto Ward in Tokyo widens. 

According to sources, staffers of Kakizawa, 52, former state minister of justice and a Lower House member, are suspected of paying approximately 910,000 yen ($6,085) to at least 13 people who worked for the campaign of Yayoi Kimura, 58, the former ward mayor.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is questioning Kakizawa’s aides on suspicion of illegal compensation to campaign workers, which the Public Offices Election Law prohibits as a form of bribery.

Prosecutors are also interviewing Kimura’s staff members. 

Prosecutors have been searching the offices of the parties involved on suspicion of bribery, in which Kakizawa distributed 200,000 yen in cash each to several ward assembly members to solicit their support for Kimura.

In addition, the investigation may be expanded to include campaign workers.

Campaigning in the Koto Ward mayoral election officially started on April 16 and voting was held on April 23. Kimura, whom Kakizawa supported, was elected for the first time.

According to the sources, Kakizawa’s aides paid a daily allowance to staff members who drove “propaganda cars” from January to April before campaigning officially started.

After the campaigning officially started, compensation was paid to the drivers of two vehicles, including a campaign car, and to the campaign workers who called out the candidate’s name and other campaign information from the vehicle over a microphone.

There were at least 13 such staff members whose total compensation was 910,500 yen.

The Public Offices Election Law stipulates that campaign workers are, in principle, volunteers, and paying them can constitute a bribery offense.

Before the campaign’s official start on April 16, any obvious “campaigning” would also fall under the crime of advance campaigning and remuneration for campaign workers would be prohibited.

During the election period, only drivers and campaign workers on the cars whose name has been reported to the election boards are allowed to be paid a daily allowance within a maximum limit.

As for the Kimura campaign’s 13 staff members, they began their pre-election activities immediately after Kimura announced her candidacy on Jan. 12, which is suspected to be advance campaigning for the ward mayor's election.

During the election period, they were not in a position to receive remuneration, as their names were not reported to the election authorities.

Tokyo prosecutors therefore suspect that the approximately 910,000 yen was a campaign bribe, and asked Kakizawa’s aides and staff about the circumstances.

Kakizawa’s aides demanded that Kimura’s side pay back approximately 910,000 yen, but Kimura’s side refused. The remuneration, which is assessed as being illegal, may be increased further.

Kakizawa’s side explained to those around that such activities prior to the official start of the campaign “are not election campaigning, but general political activities that do not violate the Public Election Law” and that they “would not constitute bribing the staff.”

Kakizawa’s side also claimed that there is no clear illegality in the payments made during the election period, according to the sources.

Tokyo prosecutors in October searched the ward mayor’s office and other locations on suspicion of violating the law by posting illegal paid internet advertisements during the election by the Kimura campaign, and Kimura resigned on Oct. 26. 

Kakizawa resigned as state minister of justice on Oct. 31, taking responsibility for proposing this online advertisement himself.

On Nov. 16, Tokyo prosecutors searched Kakizawa’s office in Koto Ward, as well as the homes of several aides and ward assembly members on suspicion of Kakizawa offering cash bribes to ward assembly members to consolidate their votes for Kimura.

On Nov. 22, the offices of two ward assembly members were also searched.

Kakizawa approached more than 10 ward assembly members to offer 200,000 yen in cash, and some of the recipients admitted to the investigators that they were there for the purpose of bribing them for the ward mayor election, according to the sources.

Kakizawa, on the other hand, explained to reporters that the cash he provided to the ward assembly members was “contributions” for the ward assembly election, which was held at the same time as the ward mayoral election, and insisted that it was unrelated to the ward mayoral race and therefore was no problem.