Panel Upholds Decision Not to Indict Hyogo Governor

Kobe, June 20 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese prosecution inquest committee has ruled that the prosecutors’ decision not to indict Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito on charges of violating the public offices election law was appropriate. The No.1 Prosecution Inquest Committee in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, said in its resolution Wednesday that, after thoroughly reviewing the records and conducting a careful investigation, it had determined that the prosecutors’ decision was reasonable, rejecting an appeal filed by a professor and a lawyer. Last June, Saito was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of paying campaign fees to a public relations company during the Hyogo prefectural gubernatorial election in November 2024 in violation of the public offices election law. The move followed a criminal complaint filed in December 2024 by the university professor and the lawyer, who argued that the alleged payment of 715,000 yen to the PR firm constituted illegal compensation for campaign activities. The president of the PR firm, who said in an online post that her company had been tasked with managing overall PR activities for Saito’s campaign team, was also referred to prosecutors. However, in November last year, the Kobe District Public Prosecutors Office decided not to indict either of them, citing insufficient evidence. Consequently, the professor and the lawyer filed a request for a review of the decision with the prosecution inquest panel, which is made up of citizens. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]