Former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai and his lawmaker wife, Anri Kawai, were indicted Wednesday on charges of violating the election law by buying votes in Anri Kawai's election campaign last summer.
Katsuyuki Kawai, 57, a House of Representative member, and Anri Kawai, 46, a member of the House of Councilors, were arrested in June, on suspicion of handing out millions of yen in cash to politicians and supporters in Hiroshima Prefecture in return for their efforts to secure votes in the Upper House poll held in July 2019.
If the Kawais are found guilty and the rulings are finalized, they will lose their Diet seats.