Former Tokushima Gov. Toshio Endo pleaded guilty Friday to charges of receiving 8 million yen in bribes from a business consultant in 1997 and 2000 in return for helping a local construction firm win public works projects in the prefecture.

In his first session before the Tokyo District Court, 59-year-old Endo admitted that he helped local contractor Ichiba Nishimura Kensetsu take part in road construction and other projects between 1996 and 1997.

In return, Endo received 8 million yen from the firm on two occasions, in 1997 and 2000, via Mitsuo Ozaki, a 56-year-old executive of the Tokyo consulting firm Gyosai Toshi Kaihatsu Kenkyujo (Gyosaiken), who stands accused of various bribery charges at the same court.

Also Friday, Wahei Nishimura, a 46-year-old executive of the construction firm, admitted to charges of asking Ozaki to set up the bribery scheme and giving him 20 million yen to win Endo's favor.

Appearing before the court in a navy blue suit, Endo, who resigned as governor March 15 after he was arrested March 4, apologized to the people of Tokushima Prefecture for betraying their trust in him.

Prior to his arrest, Endo flatly denied before the prefectural assembly he had committed any wrongdoing. On Friday, he said he took the money because he initially thought it constituted a legitimate political donation.

"I do not believe that receiving the money from Ozaki led me to distort prefectural politics," Endo said.

In their opening statement, prosecutors said Endo unlawfully helped Ichiba Nishimura win prefectural road maintenance and construction projects in 1996 and 1997.

In return, he was given 5 million yen in cash by Ozaki at Gyosaiken's office in Tokyo in June 1997.

Endo also worked to have Ichiba Nishimura included in a list of contractors for the construction of a prefectural cultural facility in June 2000, at Ozaki's request. Ozaki paid the governor a reward of 3 million yen via a senior member of Endo's support group later that year, the prosecutors said.

The money Ozaki used to bribe Endo came from the 20 million yen that Nishimura handed to Ozaki, they said. Endo, a former transport ministry official, used the money for his election campaigns.

Gubernatorial elections were held in both those years, which Endo won.

In May last year, Endo and Ozaki agreed that Endo would help Ichiba Nishimura win a tunnel construction project in return for 10 million yen from Ozaki, the prosecutors said.

The charges against Endo stem from an extensive bribery scandal involving Gyosaiken, which was effectively run by Ozaki, a former secretary to House of Representatives lawmaker Michihiko Kano.

A total of 15 politicians, company executives and others have been indicted in the scam.

Last month, Yoshishiro Kimura, former mayor of Ishioka, Ibaraki Prefecture, admitted taking 2 million yen in bribes from Ozaki in 1999. Hiroshi Yamanaka, the former mayor of Shimotsuma, Ibaraki Prefecture, also stands accused of receiving 8.35 million yen from Gyosaiken in 1999.

The trial of Ozaki, who is accused of bribing politicians and evading taxes, is to begin before the Tokyo District Court on July 31.