After over two months of silence, former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai and his wife, Upper House lawmaker Anri Kawai, denied any intention to resign after prosecutors searched their offices in Hiroshima on Wednesday over alleged campaign violations in her election.
Katsuyuki Kawai, 56, and Anri Kawai, 46, are suspected of having paid 13 female campaign announcers a daily allowance of ¥30,000, double the amount permitted by law, during the House of Councilors election campaign in July in which she won a seat.
The two lawmakers separately told reporters Wednesday night that they will not resign either as lawmakers or as members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.