Japan: Japanese lawmaker held in casino bribery scandal allegedly demanded luxury goods from Chinese firm

Monday 3rd February 2020

Lower House member Tsukasa Akimoto, who has been arrested for alleged bribery over a casino resort project, is suspected of demanding luxury items from a Chinese company at the center of the scandal, sources have said.

Akimoto, 48, visited Macao in late December 2017 at the invitation of the company, 500.com, to inspect a casino there.

At a shopping mall in Macao during the trip, Akimoto asked the 500.com side to buy some products for him, the sources said.

During questioning by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office's special investigation team, Akimoto admitted accepting the items from the company, the sources said.