The first trial of Deputy Minister of Justice Mizutaka Kakizawa, who is accused of bribery in violation of the Public Offices Election Act in connection with the Koto Ward mayoral election in Tokyo held in April last year, will be held at the Tokyo District Court on the 14th. The former lawmaker is expected to admit to the charges, and attention will be focused on how he will explain the circumstances surrounding the provision of cash.

Mizuo Kakizawa (53), a former deputy minister of justice who resigned as a member of the Diet on the 1st of this month, instructed his secretary to pay campaign compensation to 10 people, including ward assembly members, regarding the Koto Ward mayoral election in April last year. In addition to providing or offering to provide a total of approximately 2.8 million yen, he was also charged with bribery, in violation of the Public Offices Election Act, for posting paid advertisements on the Internet calling for votes for former Ward Mayor Yayoi Kimura. I am.



The former lawmaker's first trial will be held at the Tokyo District Court from 10 a.m. on the 14th.



According to sources, the former lawmaker has admitted to all the charges against him, and attention will be focused on how he will explain the circumstances surrounding the provision of the cash.



It is also believed to be the first time that a case has been brought to court over paid advertisements for election campaigns on the internet.



In a series of incidents, former ward mayor Kimura was indicted on charges of violating the Public Offices Election Act, and two former secretaries of former assemblyman Kakizawa were given summary orders with fines of 500,000 yen, including one former secretary. I am requesting a formal trial as a complaint.



In addition, five people, including ward assembly members, who were the targets of the takeover, were indicted at home or on summary indictment, and three of them expressed their intention to fight the matter in court, saying, ``I did not think there was any intent to take over.'' Masu.

History of the incident

The Koto ward mayoral election that sparked the incident was held in April last year, with four newcomers competing, and former ward mayor Yayoi Kimura, who called for a "clean and open ward administration," won 13,000 votes for the eldest son of the former ward mayor. I won by a huge margin.



However, it was later revealed that during the election period, the campaign had placed paid advertisements on YouTube that included images of Yayoi Kimura and the words ``Please vote for Yayoi Kimura.''



The Public Offices Election Act prohibits the posting of paid advertisements on the Internet displaying the names of candidates during the election period, and in October last year, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Department arrested the mayor's office at the ward office on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act. I searched for.



Furthermore, new suspicions have emerged that former lawmaker Mitsuru Kakizawa, who is said to have supported Mr. Kimura, provided funds to ward assembly members and others before and after the election.



The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's special investigation department conducted an investigation that included searches of their homes and offices, and in December last year, they arrested former lawmaker Kakizawa and his secretaries on suspicion of bribery in violation of the Public Offices Election Act.



Last month, former lawmaker Kakizawa and others were indicted on charges of violating the Public Offices Election Act.