IR bribery case Representative Akimoto and Chinese company

IR bribery case Representative Akimoto and a Chinese company History of connection deepening December 25 19:12

IR including casinos: A member of the House of Representatives Akimoto who promoted integrated resort facilities and served as Deputy Minister, and a Chinese company "500 dot com" who was aiming to enter IR in Japan. Through interviews with a wide range of stakeholders, such as Hokkaido and Okinawa, it became clear that the two had deepened their connection over IR.

Naha City Symposium

On August 4th, an IR-related symposium was held in Naha City on August 4th, before Mr. Akimoto assumed office as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Cabinet Office in charge of IR and other matters.

Mr. Akimoto gave a keynote speech with the top management of "500 dot com" and talked about IR-related legal systems and future prospects.

On the other hand, 500 dot com, which hosted the symposium, just established a Japanese corporation in Tokyo the previous month and was keen to invest in IR development in Okinawa.

According to the parties involved, the symposium involved both Masahiko Konno, an adviser to a Chinese company, and Katsunori Nakazato, a former city council member in Urasoe.

An official who knew the two said, "They may have been acquainted with each other for a long time, and adviser Konno, who had traveled abroad frequently, and Nakasato, a former city council member who had a network in the political world, would have connected Akimoto to a Chinese company. Or not? "

3 million yen bribe

Representative Akimoto and a Chinese company seemed to have got acquainted with the symposium in Naha. Mr. Akimoto was a deputy minister on August 7, but according to the Special Investigation Division, he suspected that he had received 3 million yen in cash from Advisor Konno and others in Tokyo around late September of the following month.

The Special Investigation Department has suspected that a bribe was given to the Chinese company for the purpose of making it more convenient to conduct an IR business.

Visit to Shenzhen head office in China

In December, Mr. Akimoto will visit the 500.com headquarters in Shenzhen, China and meet with top management in December.

The visit was accompanied by a member of the Liberal Democratic Party's Liberal Democratic Party, Mr. Takaki Shirasuka, a former Liberal Democratic Party member, and a former policy officer of Japan, Mr. Akimoto, and a former policy secretary of Akimoto. is.

According to stakeholders, at the time of this meeting, the top management told Congressman Akimoto his willingness to enter Japan, saying, "If you create a casino in Japan and attract members of the sports lottery business, it will be a great profit." .

* Shenzhen = (Saturated river)

Meeting in Rusutsu-mura

The following month, last January, the top management of 500.com announced that it was considering investing in a tourism company operating a resort facility in Rusutsu-mura, Hokkaido to attract IR.

Last February, Representative Akimoto visited Rusutsu-mura, where he met Mayor Tabaya Tsunehachi, the executive responsible for IR at the Hokkaido Government Office, and the president of a tourism company.

At that time, Mr. Akimoto was visiting Rusutsu Village with his wife and children, and the Special Investigation Division paid 500.com to pay for the travel expenses such as airfare and accommodation expenses and received a profit of about 700,000 yen Suspicion was also suspected of arrest.

An official from Rusutsu said in a NHK interview that "Representative Akimoto had come to ski with his children."

In the Deputy Minister's Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Last April, Mr. Akimoto, Mr. Nakazato, and a person from Rusutsu Village met in the Deputy Minister's Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The IR maintenance law passed but the plan failed.

In July of last year, an IR maintenance law was enacted to cover up to three locations nationwide for the time being.

In Hokkaido, Tomakomai City and Kushiro City, in addition to Rusutsu Village, had announced their invitation, but the plan to enter the 500 dot com has been stalled, and last month Governor Suzuki of Hokkaido He expressed his intention to abandon the invitation due to environmental concerns.