Japan panel: DPJ No.2 Ozawa should be charged-media

TOKYO, April 27 (Reuters) - A judicial review panel said on Tuesday that ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) kingpin Ichiro Ozawa should be prosecuted over a political funds scandal, domestic media said, dealing the party a harsh blow ahead of a key national election.

The panel's decision means prosecutors must re-examine the case and if they still refuse to pursue it, the panel can have the courts appoint lawyers to prosecute him. Ozawa has denied any intentional wrongdoing.

The news comes as Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's support rates nosedive, partly on voter suspicions over a series of financial scandals in his party, ahead of an upper house election the DPJ must win to avoid policy deadlock.

Judicial panels of ordinary citizens review cases where a complaint has been made about prosecutors' failure to indict a suspect.

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