THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
June 21, 2025 at 18:42 JST
Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito meets with reporters on June 20. (Reo Komeda)
KOBE--Hyogo prefectural police have sent papers to prosecutors concerning last year’s Hyogo gubernatorial election and suspected violations of the Public Offices Election Law, according to investigative sources.
Papers referred to prosecutors are on the case against Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito and the president of a public relations company based in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture.
However, Hyogo police made no formal announcement about the action nor recommend to prosecutors whether indictments were warranted.
The latest move followed a criminal complaint filed against Saito and the company president. It alleges that Saito paid the PR firm about 700,000 yen ($4,800) to handle part of his campaign last autumn.
The Kobe District Public Prosecutors Office and Hyogo prefectural police in February mounted a search of the offices of public relations company merchu inc. into possible violations of the Public Offices Election Law.
Prosecutors will now decide if indictments are warranted against Saito and the merchu president.
Saito met with reporters on June 20 and repeated his claims that no laws were broken during his gubernatorial campaign.
The merchu president has not spoken with the media since the allegations first surfaced.
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