[英语阅读]酒井法子获保释 十月受审

Japanese actress freed on bail, faces drug charge

因涉嫌藏毒和吸毒而被起诉的日本著名女星酒井法子17日被保释出狱，她为自己的吸毒行为向“粉丝”道歉。今年8月初，酒井法子因涉毒嫌疑被东京警方逮捕。东京地方检察厅后以藏毒和吸毒罪名对她提起诉讼。本月，酒井法子通过律师向东京地方法院提出保释申请并获批准，她交纳了总共500万日元（约合5.3万美元）的保释金。酒井法子一案的首次公开审理将于10月26日举行，她有可能面临高达十年的入狱刑期，不过初犯通常可以获得缓刑。

Thirty-eight-year-old Japanese pop singer and actress Noriko Sakai bites her lips during a news conference in Tokyo September 17, 2009. Sakai, who is indicted for drug possession and use, was released on bail on Thursday after her arrest on drug charges on August 8, 2009.

Japanese actress Noriko Sakai was released on bail Thursday, 41 days after she was taken into custody on drug allegations that triggered a media frenzy and concerns about growing drug use in Japan's entertainment business.

Police arrested Sakai, 38, in early August after she turned herself following a weeklong disappearance.

She was later formally charged with violating an anti-stimulant law and is to go on trial beginning October 26. The Tokyo District Court approved her release this week on 5 million yen ($55,000) bail, Tokyo police said.

Escorted by police, Sakai walked out of the police station as hundreds of tabloid photographers, reporters and fans waited.

"I'm truly sorry," she said, bowing deeply.

Sakai was initially seen as a distraught wife who went missing after her husband's arrest on drug charges, but later became a suspect herself. Her husband faces similar charges and will be tried separately.

The scandal has dominated headlines for weeks in Japan, and authorities have said they will crack down on drug use in the entertainment industry.

"Actions by celebrities could make a big social impact, especially on young people," National Police Agency chief Masaharu Ando said last month. He urged the entertainment industry "to eradicate drug problems."

Sakai debuted in 1986 at age 15, but rose to fame through acting in TV dramas and singing in the 1990s. She was among the first Japanese actresses to perform and gain popularity in Asia.

Her promotional deals, including one with carmaker Toyota, were pulled and her contracts canceled after the scandal emerged.

If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison. But most first violations bring suspended sentences.