河井夫妻を任意聴取　公選法違反事件―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、広島地検が河井夫妻から任意で事情聴取したことが９日、関係者への取材で分かった。克行氏は案里氏の選挙を実質的に取り仕切っていた疑いがあり、地検は夫妻から直接事情を聴く必要があると判断したもようだ。（2020/03/09-20:53）

Hiroshima public prosecutors have questioned former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai, 56, and his wife, Anri, a 46-year-old House of Councillors lawmaker, on their possible roles in alleged illegal payments to election campaign staff, informed sources said Monday.
   The Hiroshima District Public Prosecutors Office has found it necessary to directly question them, both belonging to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, because the former minster is suspected of taking control of his wife's campaign in last July's election for the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, the sources said. Anri Kawai won her first seat in the Upper House through the contest in the Hiroshima district.
   On Tuesday, the office arrested Hiroshi Tatemichi, 54, a government-paid secretary to her, and two others on charges of violating the election law by paying 2.04 million yen in total to campaign staff, the amount exceeding the legal limit. The prosecutors also searched offices of the Kawais in the buildings for Diet members in Tokyo.
   According to informed sources, the smartphones of the two LDP lawmakers were seized on the same day. The prosecutors are analyzing communication records hoping to detect detailed instructions on campaign activities made by Katsuyuki Kawai, who holds a seat in the House of Representaives, through the Line messaging app.
   During the questioning, the couple are believed to have been asked to explain how and why such payments were made, people familiar with the case said.