Ex-Japanese lawmaker’s prison term upheld over casino bribery case

TOKYO (Kyodo) — A Japanese high court on Friday upheld a four-year prison term of a former lawmaker, alongside an order to pay fines of about 7.6 million yen ($50,000) in a bribery case linked to a government casino resort-building project.

Tsukasa Akimoto, 52, has pleaded not guilty to having received bribes worth 7.6 million yen between September 2017 and February 2018 from a Chinese gambling operator that was aiming to enter Japan’s casino market. At the time, he was senior vice minister in the Cabinet Office and in charge of so-called integrated resorts, which include casinos.

But the Tokyo High Court dismissed the appeal filed by Akimoto’s defense team, who immediately appealed the ruling.

During the trial, the defense counsel insisted that Akimoto was away from the Diet members’ office building in Tokyo at the time prosecutors alleged that cash was handed to the former House of Representatives member.

Presiding Judge Akira Ando, however, said no logical inconsistencies were found in the lower court’s ruling, adding that the statement by the briber was “objectively backed up and credible enough.”

The high court also upheld a suspended prison term for Akihiro Toyoshima, 45, a former secretary of Akimoto, over his involvement in the case, rejecting his appeal as well.

According to the Tokyo District Court ruling issued in September 2021, Akimoto received the bribes from Chinese firm 500.com. While released on bail, Akimoto also offered money to the Chinese firm’s side between June and July of 2020 in exchange for giving him a favorable false testimony in court.