TOKYO — Mito Kakizawa, a 52-year-old former senior vice justice minister and House of Representatives lawmaker, was formally indicted on Wednesday for alleged violations of the election law, according to prosecutors. The charges come in the wake of Kakizawa’s arrest on December 28, stemming from accusations of illegal campaign financing related to a Tokyo ward mayoral election held last April.
Kakizawa, a former member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and his four secretaries, who were also apprehended in late December, initially denied the allegations. However, sources close to the matter revealed that they later admitted their guilt.
The indictment is expected to pose additional challenges for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration, which is already grappling with a separate political funds scandal involving the LDP’s largest faction.
The charges against Kakizawa include suspicions of collaborating with his secretaries to provide a total of 1 million yen ($6,800) to five former or incumbent Koto assembly members. Additionally, he allegedly offered a total payment of 600,000 yen to three other local assembly members.
Further allegations involve a payment of 200,000 yen to the staff of Yayoi Kimura, the candidate backed by Kakizawa in the mayoral race. He is also accused of transferring approximately 800,000 yen to a former local assembly member who reportedly campaigned for Kimura. The total support provided by Kakizawa, including funds from his secretaries, is estimated to be around 3.3 million yen for Kimura’s successful election campaign.
Initially, Kakizawa and his secretaries explained that the money offered to Koto Ward assembly members was a customary mid-campaign contribution ahead of a ward assembly election in April. However, Kakizawa later chose not to contest the allegations, acknowledging that the payment could be interpreted as an attempt to influence the election given the circumstances at the time.
Kakizawa, the son of a former foreign minister, resigned as senior vice justice minister in October after admitting to proposing the use of an online advertisement in Kimura’s campaign, a practice prohibited by election law. Kimura, who stepped down as mayor in November after using a paid YouTube advertisement to encourage votes for her, was previously a lower house lawmaker of the LDP.
Violators of the public office election law on vote-buying could face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 500,000 yen. Those who use paid advertisements online for specific candidates may face imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.