Two individuals affiliated with the Ishin party's campaign have been referred for prosecution for allegedly paying campaign workers above the legal limit during the recent House of Representatives election.
On February 19, the Hyogo Prefectural Police referred two members of the campaign team of Junko Tokuyasu, who ran unsuccessfully in the House of Representatives election for the Nippon Ishin no Kai party in Hyogo's 8th district (Amagasaki), for possible violations of the Public Offices Election Act related to bribery and undue payment. This referral follows investigations into claims that a male campaign official paid a female campaign worker more than the legal payment cap of 20,000 yen, raising concerns over compliance with electoral finance laws.
Sources indicated that the male official in his 40s allegedly compensated the female staff member in her 50s beyond the allowed limit, which is set by law to prevent bribery in election campaigns. Additionally, there were discrepancies noted in the records submitted for campaign expenses, particularly concerning the payment of the campaign workers, suggesting that some funds might have been diverted for illegal purposes, leading authorities to suspect a broader scheme of election financing violations.
Junko Tokuyasu, a former prefectural assembly member, gathered approximately 48,000 votes in her recent electoral bid but was defeated by Shigeharu Aoyama, who was endorsed by the Liberal Democratic Party. The case raises significant questions about electoral integrity and the enforcement of campaign finance regulations in Japan, particularly as it unfolds in the backdrop of the closely watched national elections.
