Apr 10, 2021
The Japanese media was caught off guard when former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai suddenly pleaded guilty during his trial for allegedly buying votes in Hiroshima Prefecture during the 2019 Upper House election.
A woman receives a copy of a newspaper extra edition in Hiroshima last year after Katsuyuki and Anri Kawai were arrested earlier in the day on suspicion of giving out cash to local politicians in 2019. | KYODO
Kawai had previously denied the accusation that he had distributed around ¥30 million to about 100 people in order to help elect his wife, Anri, who was running on the Liberal Democratic Party ticket. The fact that he not only changed course in the middle of his trial but resigned his own Lower House seat had reporters scratching their heads.
Timing is everything when it comes to the politics of the Kawai scandal japantimes.co.jp - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from japantimes.co.jp Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.