Former Japanese Lawmaker Akimoto Denies Accepting Bribes

Tokyo, Nov. 25 (Jiji Press)--Former Japanese lawmaker Masatoshi Akimoto on Monday pleaded not guilty to charges of taking bribes from an offshore wind power company over a project in the northeastern prefecture of Aomori.

Akimoto, a 49-year-old former member of the House of Representatives, has been charged with receiving about 72 million yen in bribes from Masayuki Tsukawaki, a 65-year-old former president of Japan Wind Development Co.

At the first hearing of his trial at Tokyo District Court, Akimoto said that he received the payment but added that the money was "neither a reward for a job nor a benefit."

Tsukawaki also pleaded not guilty to bribing Akimoto. He has been charged with giving the former lawmaker about 41 million yen in bribes, the amount whose three-year statute of limitations has not expired. "It's completely false that I bribed," Tsukawaki said.

Akimoto also said he will not contest separate charges of illegally receiving 2 million yen in COVID-19 relief subsidies.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]