Ex-Japan Lawmaker GaaSyy Denies Some Charges in 1st Trial Hearing

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)--Former Japanese lawmaker GaaSyy, charged with intimidating celebrities repeatedly in online videos, denied some of the charges at his first court hearing Tuesday.

In his arraignment at Tokyo District Court, GaaSyy, 51, whose real name is Yoshikazu Higashitani, admitted to making threats, saying he "actually made remarks as shown by the indictment" and that he is "sorry for the victims."

Meanwhile, his lawyer said he was not a "habitual" intimidator and intends to fight related charges.

In their opening statement, prosecutors said GaaSyy came to think of revenge against celebrities as they kept a distance from him in the wake of a weekly magazine report alleging that the ex-lawmaker committed fraud.

"In his gossip YouTube channel launched in February last year, he released videos including slander of disobedient celebrities, gaining about a million viewers in some two months," prosecutors pointed out.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]