「元法相依頼でデータ削除」　疑惑報道後、業者の供述調書―案里被告公判・東京地裁

　昨夏参院選をめぐる大型買収事件で、公選法違反（買収、事前運動）罪に問われた参院議員、河井案里被告（４７）の公判が１９日、東京地裁（高橋康明裁判長）であり、夫で元法相の克行被告（５７）＝衆院議員＝から「パソコン内にあるデータの完全削除を頼まれた」とするインターネット関連業者の供述調書が読み上げられた。
　検察側が朗読した調書によると、案里被告陣営の選挙違反疑惑が報道された直後の昨年１１月３日、克行被告は自身の議員宿舎で業者の男性と面会。「事務所スタッフがデータを持ち出した可能性がある」と焦った様子で話し、「流出したらまずいものを消したい」と求めた。
　克行被告はその日、男性が購入したデータ削除ソフトを使い、議員宿舎のパソコンにあるデータを削除。男性は翌４日にかけ、克行被告の議員会館事務所や広島市内の夫妻の自宅に出向き、パソコン内のデータを削除した。初公判の検察側冒頭陳述によると、消されたデータの中には現金の提供先や金額が書かれた克行被告作成のリストも含まれていた。（2020/10/19-14:45）

A man engaged in an internet-related business has said that former Japanese Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai requested the complete deletion of personal computer data shortly after an alleged vote-buying scandal involving him and his wife, Anri, came to light last year.
   According to the man's confession statement read out by prosecutors in a hearing of Anri's trial at Tokyo District Court on Monday, Katsuyuki, 57, a lawmaker of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, met with the man at the former minister's residence in a dormitory for Diet members in Tokyo on Nov. 3 last year.
   At the time, Katsuyuki told the man that the staff of his office may have sneaked some data out and that he wanted to delete data that could cause a problem if they are leaked, the man said in the statement.
   On that day, Katsuyuki allegedly deleted PC data at his residence using data deletion software purchased by the man, according to the statement. The man also said he visited Katsuyuki's office in Tokyo and the couple's offices in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, toward the following day to delete PC data there.
   Katsuyuki and Anri, 46, are suspected of distributing cash mainly to mayors and local assembly members in Hiroshima to round up votes for Anri in the July 2019 election for the House of Councillors, the upper Diet chamber, in violation of the public offices election law.