Japan's top court has rejected an appeal by a secretary of a disgraced lawmaker accused of illegally paying election campaigners, judicial sources said Saturday, making it even more likely the former ruling party member will lose her parliament seat.
The decision made by the Supreme Court's First Petty Bench on Wednesday all but finalizes lower court rulings that sentenced Hiroshi Tatemichi, 55, a state-paid secretary of upper house lawmaker Anri Kawai, to 18 months in prison, suspended for five years.
Kawai is currently on trial on vote-buying charges during the upper house election campaign last summer, along with her husband Katsuyuki Kawai, a 57-year-old lower house lawmaker and a former justice minister. She was elected as a lawmaker for the first time in that poll.
According to the Hiroshima district and high court rulings, Tatemichi paid 2.04 million yen ($19,600) in total to 14 members of Anri Kawai's campaign staff between July 19 and 23 last year during the upper house election, exceeding the daily legal limit of 15,000 yen per person.
Prosecutors are now expected to file a lawsuit with the Hiroshima High Court seeking to nullify Kawai's election win based on the application of guilt by association under the Public Offices Election Law.
If the high court recognizes the prosecutors' request, the House of Councillors member will lose her seat representing the Hiroshima constituency and will also be banned for five years from running in the same electoral district.
Kawai would also have to give up her post if she herself is convicted and the ruling on her case is finalized.
If her husband is convicted, the prosecutors are also likely to file a separate lawsuit demanding she give up her position.
The Kawais have both pleaded not guilty to the allegations against them.
Related coverage:
Tokyo court grants bail for lawmaker charged with vote-buying
Tokyo court denies bail for ex-minister, lawmaker wife
Ex-justice minister, lawmaker wife plead not guilty to vote buying
