Public prosecutors on Wednesday arrested lawmaker Muneo Suzuki on suspicion of bribery after his colleagues in the House of Representatives gave them the green light in a plenary session earlier in the day.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office alleges Suzuki accepted a 5 million yen bribe from Yamarin, a logging company in Obihiro, Hokkaido, in August 1998, in exchange for attempts to secure favorable treatment from the Forestry Agency.
The prosecutors served Suzuki an arrest warrant issued by the Tokyo District Court following the authorization, which is required before legislators can be arrested while the Diet is in session.