A Lower House member and the former president of a major offshore wind-power company were each charged with bribery by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday, in a case that has put a spotlight on government efforts to greatly ramp up renewable energy use in coming years.
Prosecutors believe former Liberal Democratic Party member Masatoshi Akimoto, 48, a strong advocate of offshore wind power in Japan, received over ¥60 million between March 2019 and June of this year from Masayuki Tsukawaki, 64, the former president of Japan Wind Development.
The alleged bribe came from two sources, both of which involve horse racing — a passion the two men share. Between 2021 and this year, roughly ¥31 million was given to Akimoto by a racehorse owners’ group that he and Tsukawaki were involved with.