Liberal Democrat Party Member of the House of Representatives, Takaki Shirasuka, implicated in a bribery scandal involving IR market entry into Japan, has been reported by The Nikkei to have received JPY1 million (US$9,350) in cash from 500.com, the Chinese company also implicated in the scandal.
Shirasuka acknowledged that he attended a voluntary interview with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, but as he does not have any authority over an IR bid, a case couldn’t be built.
In December 2017, Shirasuka went on an inspection tour to China on the invitation of Chinese company 500.com, headquartered in Shenzhen, along with Representative Tsukasa Akimoto, who has been indicted for bribery. Former Representative Shigeaki Katsunuma also attended, and the company paid for his travel expenses.
The three men visited 500.com’s headquarters, met with company executives and also inspected a shopping mall in Macau. Shirasuka and Katusnuma reportedly received JPY1 million in cash during the trip from a former advisor to the company, Katsunori Nakazato, also accused of bribery.
The office of Shirasuka commented in writing on 14 July saying, “We are fully cooperating with the authority’s investigation,” explaining that Shirasuka did nothing unlawful. Katsunuma added, “I am cooperating with the authority’s investigation and have explained I did nothing illegal so that is the end of it.”
Akimoto, who served as the Deputy Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and was the cabinet deputy minister in charge of the IR development process from September 2017 to February 2018, has been charged with receiving bribes from 500.com to the value of approximately JPY7.6 million (US$71,000) in their attempt to enter the Japanese IR market. Akimoto is denying all charges.
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