Tokyo Police Obtain Arrest Warrant for Ex-Lawmaker GaaSyy

Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo police on Thursday obtained an arrest warrant for expelled lawmaker GaaSyy for allegedly defaming and intimidating several well-known people on YouTube, investigative sources said.

The development came only a day after GaaSyy, whose real name is Yoshikazu Higashitani, was expelled from the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, for being absent from the Diet since his election in July last year.

The Metropolitan Police Department sought the warrant earlier in the day on suspicion of habitual intimidation and forcible obstruction of business, according to the sources.

The police found it necessary to arrest the 51-year-old as he, who is overseas, has not responded to police requests to appear voluntarily and has continued to blackmail individuals who have filed criminal complaints against him.

The Tokyo police department, through the National Police Agency, plans to ask the Japanese Foreign Ministry to order GaaSyy to return his passport and Interpol to put him on the international wanted list.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]