Tokyo prosecutors on Thursday arrested former Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Mito Kakizawa for allegedly giving bribes to assembly members in Tokyo’s Koto Ward to garner support for a candidate in the Koto mayoral election.
Four secretaries of Kakizawa, 52, were also arrested for their involvement in the bribery case. Namely, Masaki Ito, 52; Naruto Yuruki, 64; Shu Goto, 38; and Naoki Morikawa, 34.
Investigators suspect Kakizawa handed a total of ¥1.8 million in cash to LDP assembly members before the election in hopes of getting Yayoi Kimura elected. He is also suspected of offering ¥800,000 to a former assembly member involved in the election campaign for Kimura as an “advisory fee."