Prosecutors will file a motion against former New Conservative Party leader Hiroshi Kumagai for approving illegal payments made by an aide to a campaign worker in November, investigative sources said Wednesday.
The Tokyo High Public Prosecutor's Office has determined that Kumagai, 63, was involved in the illegal payments and will file the motion as soon as Tatsuya Hidaka, the aide who admitted to the misdeed, is convicted, the sources said.
Kumagai has denied any involvement in the incident.
The Public Offices Election Law states that campaign workers must be registered in advance to be legally paid.
Hidaka, 41, has admitted that the worker was not registered and is expected to plead guilty when his trial starts Friday before the Shizuoka District Court. A guilty verdict may be handed down in January.
If Hidaka is convicted and decides not to appeal, prosecutors will file the motion against Kumagai with the Tokyo High Court by February, according to the sources.
If Kumagai loses the case, he will be barred from running for public office in the Shizuoka No. 7 district for five years.
Kumagai failed in his re-election bid in his constituency in the Nov. 9 House of Representatives election and subsequently stepped down as NCP chief.
Hidaka was arrested two days after the election and is said to have told Shizuoka police he acted alone.
