Ome City road construction rigging acquitted by former chairman of construction industry association September 20 18:14

Tokyo District Court Tachikawa branch said to the former chairman of the construction industry association that was accused of obstruction of bidding, as arguing over the road repair work ordered by Ome City, Tokyo. "I can't say".

The acquittal was founded by Masao Sakai (63), the former president of the construction company “Sakai-gumi” in Ome City, Tokyo and the former chairman of the Ome Construction Industry Association.

In April, Mr. Sakai was accused of obstructing the tender by consulting with other contractors to make a successful bid for his company over the road repair work ordered by Ome City.

He admitted what was prosecuted in the first trial, but subsequently innocent.

In a ruling on the 20th, Judge Yoshiko Noguchi of the Tokyo District Court Tachikawa Branch said, “If the bidding goes bad, the city will be inconvenienced and we just confirmed whether we are willing to accept orders from other contractors as the chairman of the Construction Industry Association. "Acknowledging the former president's claim."

On top of that, he was acquitted, saying, “It was not the purpose of harming the fair price, and rigging was not possible.”

Prosecution comment on acquittal

Regarding this innocence, Mr. Hasegawa, branch manager of the Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office, commented, “I want to fully consider the decision and take appropriate action.”

Sakai “Thanks to family and employees”

Sakai, the former president of the Ome Construction Industry Association, who was sentenced to innocence, held a conference in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.``To the family and employees who supported me while feeling relieved and hard at the moment when I was acquitted I was again filled with gratitude, ”he said with tears.

After that, he was restrained for 80 days and was able to admit the prosecution without limitation, but I think it was typical of “Hostage Justice”.

The lawyer Nobuo Gohara, who was in charge of the defense, said, “If the defendant, who fully acknowledged the prosecution at the first trial, subsequently innocenced, the court would not normally deal with it, but the presiding "