The Tokyo District Court has fined Shu Goto, a former private secretary to former lawmaker Mito Kakizawa, ¥500,000 ($3,200) for violating election law by offering cash to Koto Ward members during last April’s mayoral elections -meeting.
Judge Masaru Nomura fined Goto on Tuesday for his involvement in a scheme led by Kakizawa, who was found guilty of an illegal campaign finance crime in March and sentenced to two years in prison, five years of which were suspended.
Kakizawa was a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and held the position of senior deputy justice minister before resigning last year over the scandal.
Prosecutors argued that the money included a request in support of former ward mayor Yayoi Kimura, 58, who is currently on trial for the same crime, and that Goto, 38, was aware of the request. Goto’s defense claimed the money was intended as a campaign gift and not a bribe.
After receiving a summary order for the fine in January, Goto appealed and requested a formal trial.
His indictment said that in February last year, Goto conspired with Kakizawa and others to distribute ¥1.6 million in campaign compensation to eight assembly members to secure Kimura’s election.
Translated by The Japan Times
