Lower House member Masatoshi Akimoto, 48, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of accepting a bribe from Japan Wind Development in return for making requests in parliament that would benefit the company.
One of the Liberal Democratic Party’s most visible proponents of renewable energy, and one who is close to former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Akimoto is suspected of receiving ¥60 million from Masayuki Tsukawaki, 64, then-president of Japan Wind Development, a firm involved in all aspects of wind power development in the country.
While not expected to impact Japan’s mid- and long-term plans to promote offshore wind power, Akimoto’s arrest could have a short-term impact on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s efforts to promote his Green Transformation policy, which includes a massive ramp up of sustainable, renewable energy use in the coming years.