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Ex-Japan justice minister given 3-year jail term over vote buying

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Kyodo News

<p>TOKYO - Former Japanese Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai was sentenced Friday to 3 years in prison and a fine of 1.3 million yen ($12,000) for vote buying aimed at securing a seat for his wife in the 2019 upper house election.</p><p>Prosecutors had sought a 4-year prison term and the forfeiture of 1.5 million yen during the 58-year-old former House of Representatives lawmaker&#x27;s trial at the Tokyo District Court, arguing his crimes were &quot;an unprecedented, extremely vicious violation of the Public Offices Election Law.&quot;</p><p>The defense in its closing argument asked for a suspended sentence on the grounds that Kawai had admitted to most of the charges and resigned as a lawmaker.</p><p>According to the indictment, Kawai handed out a total of about 29 million yen to 100 local politicians and supporters in return for securing votes for his wife in the House of Councillors election in July 2019.</p><p>Kawai asserted his innocence at the beginning of the trial last August but reversed course and pleaded guilty later, telling a court hearing in March, &quot;I cannot deny that I desired to get my wife elected.&quot; He admitted that the cash he gave out to 90 individuals was for vote buying and resigned as a lawmaker.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/17/21/comelec-digital-vote-buying-2022-elections">Comelec warning: Digital vote buying possible in 2022 polls</a></li></ul><p>The LDP headquarters had approved his wife Anri Kawai as an additional candidate in the Hiroshima constituency with the aim of winning 2 seats, but the move was not backed by the prefectural party chapter. The prosecution cited the difficult situation as a motive for Kawai&#x27;s actions.</p><p>The court in January sentenced Anri Kawai to 16 months in prison, suspended for 5 years, for conspiring with her husband and handing out 1.6 million yen in total to 4 Hiroshima prefectural assembly members between March and May in 2019.</p><p>Anri Kawai resigned as an upper house member in February.</p><p>The LDP headquarters provided 150 million yen, an unusually large sum, to Anri Kawai&#x27;s camp, ahead of the 2019 upper house election. Katsuyuki Kawai has denied that the money was used for vote buying.</p><p>Anri Kawai&#x27;s election campaign was supported by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, now prime minister, and other senior LDP lawmakers.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/13/19/duterte-says-vote-buying-integral-part-of-elections">Duterte says vote buying &#x27;integral&#x27; part of elections</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1709016" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Former Japanese Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai was sentenced Friday to 3 years in prison and a fine of 1.3 million yen ($12,000) for vote buying aimed at securing a seat for his wife in the 2019 upper house election.</p>

Former Japanese Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai was sentenced Friday to 3 years in prison and a fine of 1.3 million yen ($12,000) for vote buying aimed at securing a seat for his wife in the 2019 upper house election.