Former Japan defense minister denies bribery of Chinese company

Japan's former defense minister Takeshi Iwaya is one of five Japanese lawmakers who would have received one million yen ($9,200) in bribes from a Chinese company, 500.com, interested in opening a casino in Japan.

At a press conference, Iwaya denied everything. "I never received money. I was never asked to do anything or do a favor," he said.

All five lawmakers were questioned by the Tokyo prosecutor's office after Katsunori Nakazato, a Japanese member who was serving as an adviser to the Chinese company, said he had delivered approximately one million yen to each of them.

The delivery, according to Nakazato, took place around September 2017, the same time he gave three million yen ($27,600) in cash to Tsukasa Akimoto, the lawmaker arrested late last year as a suspect of receiving bribes from 500.com to change of favors.

The Tokyo prosecutor's office is investigating whether parliamentarians or their secretaries received money in violation of the political fund control law, which prohibits donations from foreigners or foreign organizations.

One of the noted, Hiroyuki Nakamura, a lawmaker with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), also denied receiving money from the Chinese firm.

A report on political funds, according to Kyodo, revealed that a LDP division led by Nakamura received 2 million yen ($18,400) in donations on September 26, 2017 from a Sapporo-based travel agency, which planned to venture into a Hokkaido casino project in which the Chinese company would invest.

In addition, Nakamura's division received another 2 million yen in donations from a senior travel agency official on October 2, 2017.

Of the 4 million yen ($36,800), one million yen was delivered on October 5, 2017 to a PLD division headed by Iwaya.

Nakamura said the travel agency did not say that the 4 million yen had been contributed by 500.com.

Of the five mPs involved, four belong to the LDP, the group led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The other, Mikio Shimoji, is a member of Japan's opposition Innovation Party.

Iwaya, Nakamura and Shimoji belonged to a multi-party group that promoted tourist resorts with casinos.

Shimoji also denied receiving money. Of the other two, Masahisa Miyazaki, ruled in the same vein to declare his innocence, while Toshimitsu Funahashi, according to Kyodo, did not agree to be interviewed. (International Press)