Hyogo Governor Saito Under Criminal Investigation

HYOGO, Dec 17 (News On Japan) - A criminal complaint against Hyogo Governor Saito and a PR firm representative over alleged violations of the Public Offices Election Act has been accepted by investigative authorities, it was revealed.

The controversy centers on the recent Hyogo gubernatorial election, in which Saito secured re-election. A PR firm representative had posted online about being "entrusted with overall public relations," raising concerns of potential violations of election law.

Lawyer Nobuo Gohara and Professor Hiroyuki Kamiwaki filed the criminal complaint with the Kobe District Prosecutors Office and Hyogo Prefectural Police on December 1st.

According to Gohara, the complaint was accepted by both institutions as of December 16th. Gohara noted, "Given that political cases are often not accepted, this decision was made with exceptional speed."

In response to the allegations, Governor Saito has repeatedly stated, "I do not believe there were any actions that violate the Public Offices Election Act."

Source: ANN

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