Photo/Illutration Tsuyoshi Tanoue, a lawyer who represents Tsuneyoshi Kido, a former Hiroshima city assembly member, during a news conference on Dec. 25 in Hiroshima (Haruka Ono)

Tokyo prosecutors gained an incriminating statement against a former justice minister in a bribery case by “inappropriately” suggesting another suspect would be granted immunity, the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office said.

Tsuneyasu Kido, 68, a former Hiroshima city assembly member, had lodged a complaint, saying the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office induced him to make the statement on the premise that he would not face charges.

In its investigation report released on Dec. 25, the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office concluded that the interrogation of Kido was “inappropriate,” but it took no punitive action against the Tokyo prosecutors, saying it could not confirm any “promise” of immunity was made to Kido.

Kido was indicted on charges of violating the Public Offices Election Law. The Hiroshima District Court on Oct. 26 found him guilty of receiving 300,000 yen ($2,110) in a cash bribe from Katsuyuki Kawai, 60, a former justice minister, in April 2019.

Kawai was found guilty of giving a total of 29 million yen to 100 local politicians as a reward for supporting the campaign of his wife, Anri, 50, in the 2019 Upper House election.

Kawai was given a three-year prison sentence for aggravated bribery and other charges. Anri also resigned from the Diet and was given a suspended sentence.

Kido’s defense team in July and August argued that the former assemblyman was forced to say the money from Kawai was a bribe on the premise of non-prosecution.

Tsuyoshi Tanoue, a lawyer who represents Kido, blasted the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office’s investigation at a news conference on Dec. 25 in Hiroshima.

Tanoue, who had released part of the recorded data of prosecutors’ questioning of Kido, said the office did not even interview his client for the investigation.

“There was no willingness to make factual determinations from interviews with both sides,” Tanoue said.

He also addressed the fact that the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office only gave “guidance” to Tokyo prosecutors for their “inappropriate” interrogation.

“That’s lenient. I’m afraid the same thing will happen all over again,” Tanoue said.

The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office interviewed prosecutors who questioned Kido and their superiors.

According to the investigation result, Kido initially acknowledged that he received a cash “gift” from Kawai, but he did not consider it a bribe in exchange for votes.

A prosecutor then told him, “I want you to continue to serve as an assembly member if possible.”

The prosecutor was apparently alluding to the Public Offices Election Law. Politicians convicted of violating the law are forced to resign and are banned from running for public office for a certain period.

“It is hard to deny that (prosecutors) gave (Kido) hopes for non-prosecution,” the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office said.

But the investigation report said a prosecutor also told Kido, “I cannot promise non-prosecution.”

Therefore, prosecutors never gave promises to Kido that he would not be charged. They also did not force Kido to make a false statement, the report said.

Prosecutors who questioned other local assembly members and their superiors at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office denied giving any promises of immunity in the case, according to the report.

The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office concluded that there was no systematic instruction to do so.

Yutaka Matsumoto, who heads the inspection and guidance department at the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office, said: “We have issued a further warning to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office to prevent a recurrence of such an incident. We will continue our efforts to ensure the appropriateness of interrogations.”

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