河井議員夫妻起訴

東京地検特捜部は河井克行前法務大臣と妻の案里参議院議員を起訴しました。

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office indicted Katsuyuki Kawai, 57, a former justice minister, and his wife, Anri, 46, a first-term Upper House member.

Prosecutors were seeking to build a case against （～を立件する）the Kawais（河井夫妻） over allegations, they have violated the Public Offices Election Law.(公職選挙法違反)

※贈収賄事件にはよくbribery scandal、payoff scandalが使われますが、今回は払った側の表現でvote-buying（＝買収による票集め、買収選挙）が多かったです。

河井氏は、昨年の参院選で、妻の選挙活動を仕切っていたといいます。

Prosecutors have established that Kawai orchestrated the campaign for his 46-year-old wife.　

※orchestrate=①（音楽を）オーケストラ用に、作曲［編曲］する、 ②（最大の効果をあげるように巧みに）調整する、編成する、（特に不正に）画策する、お膳立てする、周到に準備する

通常の支払いの3倍をウグイス嬢に支払い、二つの領収書を用意していたとされます。

Kawais are suspected of having paid 13 female campaign announcers a daily allowance of 30,000 yen, double the amount permitted by law. The campaign forged two receipts for these daily allowance payments in an apparent accounting gimmick (不正経理、会計上のカラクリ) to avoid violating the law.

※gimmick=（手品や製品などの）巧妙なからくり、仕掛け、（ギャンブル等の）いかさま、（計画の）策略

※ウグイス嬢はstaff members who chant candidate’s name and slogans from campaign vehiclesなど

雑誌が疑惑をネットにあげた後、昨年10月に、克行氏は法務大臣を辞任。12月には案里氏は適応障害で1カ月の自宅療養が必要とする診断書を提出しました。

Kawai resigned as justice minister in October after the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine reported the allegation online, while his wife submitted to the LDP a medical certificate stating she was diagnosed with an adjustment disorder and needs to rest for one month.

国会議員には、国会開会中に逮捕されない不逮捕特権がありますが、6月には逮捕。地元議員らに票の取りまとめを依頼し現金を配ったとされますが、二人は否認しています。

Lawmakers have special immunity from arrest while the Diet is in session.

※議員不逮捕特権＝parliamentary immunity／parliamentary privilege

The Kawais were arrested on June 18 on suspicion of vote-buying.  They were suspected of distributing a total of 29 million yen to 94 individuals in Hiroshima Prefecture. The couple have denied any wrongdoing.

※wrongdoing=悪事を働くこと、犯罪

No criminal charges will be filed against any local assembly members who received cash handouts from the Kawais.

※cash handout=補助金の支給

6月には案里氏の秘書に有罪判決が下り、連座制で当選が無効となる可能性があります。

Aide to Anri Kawai Found Guilty over Campaign Scandal（見出し）

A Japanese court sentenced a state-paid secretary to House of Councillors lawmaker Anri Kawai to 18 months in prison, suspended for five years, over an election law violation during her campaign last year.

※政策秘書はpolicy secretaryでもいいが、state-paid secretary や、government-paid secretaryが使われることが多い。

Even if the candidate herself was unaware of the violation, her election would be invalidated if a campaign staff member subject to the guilt-by-complicity provision is convicted of violating the law.

※invalidate＝〔～の法的効力を〕取り消す、無効にする

※be subject to＝〔法律・法則・規則など〕の支配下［影響下］にある

※guilt-by-complicity provision　連座制   ※complicity＝共謀、共犯　他にはguilt‐by‐association system

首相の任命責任を求める声も聞かれます。

Two heavyweight ministers have resigned over allegations of election irregularities in less than two months since an early September Cabinet reshuffle. Katsuyuki Kawai was a questionable pick for the Cabinet in the first place.

※heavyweight=(口語)有力者、大物

※pick=選ばれた人、指名された人