Japan: Company president convicted over role in fraudulent signatures in failed Aichi Governor recall attempt

Looks like we got the denouncement to the crazy fraud case of the recall of Aichi Governor Hidekai Omura, as Akira Yamaguchi, the former president for a company that recruited people to forge signatures received a 16 month sentence (suspended for four years). Two other defendants are facing sentencing as well.

A criminal complaint had been filed over the use of fraudulent signatures. Hundreds of thousands of signatures thrown out because they look to be forgeries (83% of 435,000) and 48% were not listed on voter roles. Petitioners needed 860,000 signatures. According to reports, an advertising company contractor hired people to copy names and addresses onto the petitions.

The recall effort is led by a Holocaust-denier and denier of the Nanking Massacre, Katsuya Takasu, a cosmetic surgeon (who for some reason is on an arts festival committee). The event was an arts festival which included, among other art, a statue of a girl representing Korean comfort women, who were forced into sexual slavery in WWII. Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura, who was the organizing committee's acting chairman, also promoted the recall drive.