Photo/Illutration Lower House member Mito Kakizawa, right, with Koto Ward Mayor Yayoi Kimura in May (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Prosecutors arrested Lower House member Mito Kakizawa and four of his secretaries on Dec. 28 on suspicion of bribery in connection with a mayoral election in Tokyo’s Koto Ward in April.

Kakizawa is accused of paying or attempting to provide a total of about 2.6 million yen ($18,000) in bribes to Koto Ward assembly members and others to help Yayoi Kimura win the election, sources said.

Kakizawa, 52, who left the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Dec. 14, was also arrested over his role in suspected illegal paid internet advertising run by Kimura’s campaign during the election.

It is believed to be the first arrest since paid internet advertising for election campaigning was prohibited in 2013 under revisions of the Public Offices Election Law.

Kakizawa, whose constituency represents Koto Ward, denied any wrongdoing in voluntary questioning by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office’s Special Investigation Department.

According to the prosecutors’ announcement and other sources, Kakizawa is believed to have provided a total of 1 million yen to five Koto Ward assembly members and offered a total of 600,000 yen to three assembly members in February in conspiracy with his secretaries.

Kakizawa is also suspected of giving 200,000 yen to a campaign staffer in March and paying about 800,000 yen in “advisory fees” to a former Koto Ward assembly member who oversaw Kimura’s campaign between July and October.

Prosecutors suspect that both payments were effectively remunerations for the mayoral election.

Kakizawa’s secretaries prepared a list of ward assembly members that showed who received the cash and who declined, and provided the list to the lawmaker, the sources said.

Prosecutors have seized the list, the sources said.

In voluntary questioning, Kakizawa said the cash provided to Koto Ward assembly members was a customary mid-campaign contribution for the ward assembly election, which was held at the same time as the mayoral election, the sources said.

Kakizawa also said he learned about the payment to the campaign staffer after the fact, and that the advisory fees to the former ward assembly member were paid to enhance his office’s capabilities, they said.

He also said he was not aware that paid internet advertising was illegal at the time, the sources said.

Kakizawa stepped down as state minister of justice in October following reports that he had advised Kimura’s campaign to run the paid advertising on YouTube during the mayoral election.

According to sources, four videos were recorded in a conference room in a Diet members office building that was reserved by Kakizawa.

The video ads were played about 890,000 times and cost about 380,000 yen, including tax, the sources said.

Bribery carries a maximum punishment of three years in prison or a fine of up to 500,000 yen, while those convicted of paid internet advertising for campaigns face a maximum two-year prison sentence or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.

Kakizawa left the LDP after prosecutors searched his home and office in the Diet members office building.

Kimura, 58, resigned as ward mayor in October after prosecutors searched her home and office over the video ads.

Kakizawa is the second Diet member to be arrested this year.

Lower House member Masatoshi Akimoto was arrested in September on suspicion of taking 61 million yen in bribes from a wind power company.

Related News