TOKYO (TR) – A 48-year-old elite prosecutor formerly attached to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office’s Special Investigation Squad has been handed a disciplinary dismissal after engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a female suspect, reports Fuji News Network (July 29).
According to the prosecutors office, Masahito Nishida summoned a woman he was interrogating to a hotel that had been rented using public funds for investigative purposes. Once there, he engaged in acts “unrelated to the interrogation.”
Nishida is also accused of accepting approximately 3,000 yen worth of electronic money from the woman before her criminal proceedings had concluded.
Up until 2025, Nishida served as a high-profile chief prosecutor spearheading the investigation into the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s massive slush fund scandal. However, officials clarified that the woman involved in the inappropriate relationship was connected to an entirely separate case.
During questioning, Nishida admitted to the allegations regarding his relationship with the woman.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office released a statement condemning his actions, calling the incident “extremely regrettable.”
“This act goes against the ethics of a national public servant, fundamentally shakes the public’s trust in the fairness of a prosecutor’s authority, and significantly damages the credibility of the prosecution,” the office stated, adding that they will thoroughly implement measures to prevent a recurrence.
