Cash confiscated by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office as part of an investigation into alleged bribery of witnesses in an IR corruption scandal reportedly had the fingerprints of House of Representatives Member, Tsukasa Akimoto, on it, according to an NHK report.
Akimoto is alleged to have colluded with executives of Chinese online gaming firm 500.com, Akihito Awaji and Fumihiko Sato, who are suspected of paying off a witness in violation of organized crime laws. Masahiko Konno, former advisor of 500.com who is currently standing trial, is said to have been paid JPY20 million in cash to give false testimony.
According to the report, it was Sato who met with Konno to make the arrangement for false testimony and subsequently have him the cash in July. Konno took the money at first, but later returned it to Sato. When Sato was arrested, the cash was confiscated by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office as part of the investigation and some of the bills were found to have the fingerprints of Akimoto on them.
Awaji has allegedly stated, “Akimoto prepared JPY10 million of the cash to be used in the bribery.”
The special investigation department is proceeding carefully with the investigation and the fingerprints on the cash will be seen as a strong indication of Akimoto’s involvement in the attempted witness buyoff.
The Akimoto scandal first emerged late last year when 500.com, a company previously interested in Japan’s integrated resort industry, was accused of handing over JPY3 million to the House of Representatives Member and another JPY1 million to each of five other members of the lower house, with multiple Diet members accused of having approved the receipt of funds.
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