Ruling party lawmaker suspected of vote-buying in Tokyo mayoral race

Ruling party lawmaker Mito Kakizawa is under investigation on suspicion of vote-buying to elect a mayoral candidate in a Tokyo ward in April, sources close to the matter said Friday.Several secretaries of Kakizawa, a House of Representatives lawmaker of the Liberal Democratic Party, offered and distributed cash to several Koto Ward assembly members, the sources said.Although Kakizawa has said there was no illegality as the money was provided to encourage them ahead of the ward assembly election, also held in April, prosecutors suspect he intended to buy votes in violation of the election la…READ FULL ARTICLE