Former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai and his wife, Anri, both lawmakers at the center of a vote-buying scandal, offered a total of 8.2 million yen to 47 people in the month leading up to last July's House of Councillors election, it has been learned. The figure and number of people are the largest known for a single month.
Kawai, 57, a lower house member, and his 46-year-old wife, who is an upper house member, are suspected of offering a total of about 25.7 million yen in cash to 94 people from March to August last year. During the period, Kawai stayed in Hiroshima Prefecture almost every day. He is also believed to have passed out money on the same day that Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga visited the prefecture. On one day, he visited six people to offer money, according to sources.
When approaching people with the cash offerings, the Kawais allegedly made various remarks, some of which indicated both an intent to buy votes and an awareness that actions were illegal.
A 48-year-old member of the Hiroshima city assembly said he was told by Kawai that the cash was "a secret between the two of us."
"I was aware that the upper house election was coming soon. I couldn't go against someone close to the center of government," the assembly member said.
In some cases, the Kawais also dropped names of political heavyweights. A 78-year-old former member of the Fuchu municipal government said Kawai told her that the money was "from Mr. Abe," while a Hiroshima prefectural assembly member said he was told by Anri Kawai, "This is a congratulatory gift from Mr. [Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Toshihiro] Nikai for winning the prefectural assembly election."
A former Hiroshima city assembly member said he was ordered by Kawai to "take" an envelope containing cash that the former justice minister put on a table. "He was a Diet member. I extended my shaking hand," he said.
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