One of the two elder sisters of House of Representatives lawmaker Takeshi Tokuda has admitted breaking the Public Offices Election Law by providing vote-buying funds to her brother for the December 2012 general election.

During a session Friday at the Tokyo District Court, one of the judges told Michiyo Stern, 46, why she was being detained. Stern said she had no objections to the indictment.

She also said the Tokuda family played a key role in the scandal and urged her relatives, particularly her father, Torao Tokuda, the 75-year-old founder and former head of the Tokushukai hospital group, to take responsibility and tell the truth.