18 months in prison demanded for lawmaker

Dec 16, 2020 | News On Japan

Dec 16, 2020 (NHK) - Tokyo prosecutors have demanded 18 months in prison for lawmaker Kawai Anri on charges of buying votes to win a seat in an Upper House election last year.

The defendant and her husband Kawai Katsuyuki, a former justice minister and Lower House member, were indicted for bribery. The couple pled not guilty.

In her trial on Tuesday, prosecutors stressed that the crime was unprecedentedly malicious as the two were in a position to restrain themselves as a candidate and an incumbent Lower House member.

The prosecutors said Kawai Anri committed the crime because she expected a tough election after failing to win support from the Hiroshima prefectural chapter of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. They described her motive as extremely selfish.

They also said she betrayed voters and badly damaged public trust in the fairness of elections.

They added that she still has an Upper House seat and bluntly said during her trial that she had never thought of buying votes, showing no regret for what she did.

The trial is to end on December 23. The court is expected to rule early next month.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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