TOKYO — Tokyo prosecutors said Thursday they have arrested the former vice foreign minister of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet on suspicion of accepting more than 61 million yen in bribes from a wind power company in return for his promotion of wind power and other favorable treatment.
Akimoto has advocated promotion of renewable energy and urged the government during parliamentary sessions in 2019 not to heavily regulate the waters off the coast of Aomori where the company, Japan Wind Development Co., was bidding for offshore wind power projects, Kyodo News agency reported. Masayuki Tsukawaki, the 64-year-old former president of Japan Wind Development, has admitted that the payments were a “reward” for Akimoto, Kyodo said, quoting unnamed investigative sources.
Renewable energy is extremely important to achieve decarbonization and a stable energy supply during a time that the world faces an energy crisis, Kishida said, adding that his government would continue to promote renewables with transparency.