On Tuesday, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office arrested Akihito Awaji, 54, a company executive, and two others, on suspicion of violating the section of the Law on Punishment of Organized Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds that prohibits bribing witnesses over the issue of a corruption scandal relating to an integrated resort project, which would include a casino. The three are suspected of offering cash in exchange for perjury.
House of Representatives member Tsukasa Akimoto, 48, has been indicted on bribery charges over a casino resort project. The special investigation squad will also investigate the relationship between Akimoto and the three suspects.
The crime of bribing witnesses was included in the revised organized crime law, which came into effect in July 2017. This is believed to be the first time that part of the law has been applied. Also arrested were Fumihiko Sato, 50, and Kazuhiro Miyatake, 49, both company executives.
According to a statement by the office and other sources, Awaji and Sato are suspected of meeting Masahiko Konno, a former adviser of Chinese company 500.com, at a hotel in Naha on June 27 and offering him 10 million yen in cash in exchange for falsely testifying. On July 22, they are suspected of offering him 20 million yen.
Between early June and mid-July, Miyatake allegedly contacted Katsunori Nakazato, 48, a former adviser of 500.com, to offer Nakazato several million yen, among other allegations.
Konno and Nakazato had been indicted in January on suspicion of offering bribes to Akimoto.
Akimoto, who was indicted for accepting bribes worth about 7.6 million yen from 500.com, has denied all the charges against him. However, Konno and Nakazato have admitted to the bribery.
According to the sources, the three asked Konno and Nakazato to testify that the alleged bribery of Akimoto never happened.
"I can't comment because I don't know the facts," an official of Akimoto's office told reporters.
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