A lawmaker charged with bribery has denied allegations that he offered witnesses money to falsely testify in court in connection with a casino graft scandal, his lawyer said Monday.
"I did not ask (anyone to falsely testify), nor am I involved in anything," Tsukasa Akimoto, a 48-year-old House of Representatives member, reportedly told investigators.
Also Monday, Akimoto supporter Akihito Awaji, 54, and two other men — Fumihiko Sato, 50, and Kazuhiro Miyatake, 49 — were indicted over alleged witness tampering in connection with the scandal.