News LDP lawmaker quits party over bribery allegations

[thomas]

Lower House member Akimoto Masatoshi quit the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday in the wake of allegations that he accepted bribes from a wind power company.

Investigators with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office searched the home of Tsukawaki Masayuki, the president of Japan Wind Development Co. They were looking into the connection between Diet questions posed by Akimoto about offshore wind farm projects and around 30 million JPY (USD 210,000) given to Akimoto in instalments from 2021.

Akimoto has resigned as parliamentary vice foreign minister without revealing why. Meanwhile, lawyers for Japan Wind's president deny any bribery. Japan's government is promoting offshore wind power as a core pillar of its efforts to expand renewable energy generation. In November 2018, the Diet passed a law to designate offshore areas as renewable energy generation zones. These zones are designated by the minister of economy, trade and industry and the minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism. Enterprises that win the public bidding process to develop them get the right to generate electricity in the zones for up to 30 years. Akimoto was parliamentary vice-minister for land, infrastructure, transport, and tourism until October 2018 and was involved in the legislative process for the offshore generation zoning law. He frequently asked questions in the Diet about promoting offshore wind power generation, such as the screening criteria for selecting wind project operators. A consortium of companies led by major trading house Mitsubishi Corp. won the first round of public bidding for all three areas available based on price. Akimoto called for a review of the selection criteria in the Diet, and they were, in fact, altered.

Editorial: Bribery probe targeting ex-LDP lawmaker must leave no stone unturned - The Mainichi

Allegations of bribery have surfaced in connection with the Japanese government's moves to decarbonize society through renewable energy. The whole pic

mainichi.jp

Akimoto quits LDP as wind farm bribery case heats up | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

LDP lawmaker embroiled in bribery allegation leaves ruling party

Lower House member Masatoshi Akimoto quit the ruling party in the wake of allegations that he accepted bribes from a wind power company.

www.japantimes.co.jp