複数の運動員に違法報酬か　案里氏陣営、昨夏の参院選で―広島地検

　自民党の河井克行前法相（５６）の妻、案里参院議員（４６）（広島選挙区）の陣営をめぐる選挙違反事件で、案里氏の陣営側が昨年夏の参院選の選挙運動を担った複数の運動員にも違法な報酬を支払っていた疑いがあることが４日、関係者への取材で分かった。うち１人は広島地検の事情聴取に対し「違法だと知りながら報酬を受け取った」という趣旨の供述をしており、報酬が認められていない運動員に対価を払う公選法の買収に当たる可能性がある。
　広島地検は、案里氏の公設第２秘書立道浩容疑者（５４）ら３人の逮捕容疑となった車上運動員への違法とされる報酬支払いに加え、運動員への報酬支払いについても、慎重に捜査を進めるとみられる。
　関係者によると、報酬を受け取ったと認めているのは会社員の男性。克行前法相から依頼を受け、選挙期間を含む昨年６月上旬～７月下旬に企業や地方議員を回り、案里氏への支持を呼び掛けた。その後、案里氏が支部長を務める自民党広島県参院選挙区第７支部の名義で３回にわたって銀行口座に約８６万円が振り込まれたほか、６月に陣営側から現金１０万円を渡されたという。
　男性は昨年末から複数回にわたり、広島地検から事情聴取を受け、今年２月には自宅の捜索も受けた。
　さらに、昨年夏の参院選の選挙期間中に宗教団体などを回って案里氏の支持を求めた別の男性にも、陣営側から数十万円が支払われたことが判明。この男性は、報酬の違法性は認めていないという。（2020/03/04-13:38）

Japanese lawmaker Anri Kawai's campaign team in last year's House of Councillors election is suspected of making illegal payments to more staff members than was previously believed, sources said Wednesday.
   The revelation comes after Hiroshi Tatemichi, 54, a government-paid secretary to Kawai, elected from Hiroshima Prefecture, and two others were arrested for allegedly paying some of her campaign staff more than the legal limit.
   The sources said the campaign team of the Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, the wife of former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai, is also believed to have made payments to staff members to whom remuneration is not permitted. The alleged act may be considered bribery under the public offices election law.
   A male corporate employee received payments for his activities to call on companies and local politicians to support Anri Kawai from early June to late July last year, which included the Upper House election campaign period. He is believed to have taken on the task at the request of her husband.
   From the campaign team, the staff member later received a total of some 860,000 yen in three remittances to his bank account from an LDP Hiroshima Prefecture electoral district branch office led by Kawai, in addition to 100,000 yen in cash in June.