Prosecutors Seek 6 Years for Japan Ex-Lawmaker in Wind Bribery Case

Japanese prosecutors on Thursday (Nov 5) asked a court to sentence former lawmaker Masatoshi Akimoto to six years in prison and a fine of about 42 million yen in a wind power bribery case, Jiji Press reported. Akimoto, 51, a former member of the House of Representatives, is charged with accepting bribes from an offshore wind power company.

Wind power bribery case sentences sought

Prosecutors also sought a three-year prison term for Masayuki Tsukawaki, 67, the former president of Japan Wind Development Co, who is accused of offering the bribes, according to the report from Tokyo.

Akimoto is alleged to have received bribes totalling about 72 million yen between 2019 and 2023. In return, prosecutors say, he asked questions favourable to the company during parliamentary meetings.

Both defendants plead not guilty

Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges. In their closing argument, prosecutors described the defendants’ actions as “extremely malicious and deeply rooted in habitual criminal behavior,” Jiji Press said.

The report did not give a date for the court’s verdict.

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