河井前法相夫妻を聴取　ＧＷ中、地元政界への現金疑惑―公選法違反で捜査・広島地検

　自民党の河井案里参院議員（４６）＝広島選挙区＝が初当選した昨夏参院選で地元政界に現金が配られた疑惑をめぐり、広島地検が大型連休中、案里氏と、夫で同党衆院議員の河井克行前法相（５７）＝広島３区＝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。地検は案里氏への票の取りまとめを依頼する趣旨で現金が配布された疑いがあるとみて、公選法違反（買収）容疑で捜査を進めているもようだ。（2020/05/09-14:23）

Japanese prosecutors questioned House of Councillors lawmaker Anri Kawai and her husband, former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai, during the Golden Week holiday period on a voluntary basis over an election campaign money scandal, it was learned Saturday.
   The Hiroshima District Public Prosecutors Office is looking into allegations that the Kawais distributed cash to influential local politicians in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, to shore up votes for Anri, 46, in the election last July for the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament.
   The office is investigating the case for possible bribery in violation of the public offices election law. Prosecutors from the office questioned the couple in Tokyo during the latter half of the holiday period that started in late April and ended in early May, informed sources said.
   Hiroshima prosecutors have so far conducted voluntary questions with local government heads, and prefectural and municipal assembly members in Hiroshima. Some of them have said they received cash from Katsuyuki, 57, a lawmaker of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet.
   According to the local leaders who admitted to receiving the money, the cash was given to them before or after the unified local elections in April 2019 as gifts to encourage candidates during their local election campaigns or congratulate those who were elected.