A civic group has filed a criminal complaint against Shinji Ishimaru, runner-up in last July's Tokyo gubernatorial election, for an alleged violation of the public offices election law in relation to a campaign event.

In the complaint, filed with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on Monday, the group said that Ishimaru, former mayor of the city of Akitakata, Hiroshima Prefecture, may have pledged to illegally pay a fee to a company that streamed the event live.

The Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine has reported that Ishimaru's camp paid about ¥970,000 to the company for livestreaming the event, which was held during the campaign period for the Tokyo gubernatorial election.

At a news conference Thursday, representatives for Ishimaru said concerns about a possible breach of the election law were raised within his camp after an order was placed to the company, and that his camp paid the same sum of money as the order amount as a cancellation fee.

Staff of the company attended the campaign event as volunteers, the Ishimaru side added.

Ishimaru has denied his involvement in the situation.

The civic group claimed in the complaint that the ¥970,000 paid to the company included about ¥450,000 for personnel costs, and that this could amount to paying-off — an act that would violate the election law.

The law bans the payment of fees over election campaigns as well as pledging to pay such fees, except to certain staff members.

Regarding the criminal complaint, Ishimaru said on his website that he will follow instructions from the authorities.