Ex - Farm Minister Allegedly Received Cash
A former head of a major poultry business reportedly has said he gave cash totaling worth about 48,000 dollars to a former agriculture minister while he was in office.
The former head of Akita Foods, headquartered in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, served as an adviser of the Japan Poultry Association and actively lobbied Diet members and the agriculture ministry over industry matters.
Sources told NHK that the person explained to others about cash transfers to former agriculture minister Yoshikawa Takamori three times in 2018 and last year.
Fund reports for those two years issued by the political group related to Yoshikawa did not mention any donations from the person, as required by law.
Akita Foods has been investigated in connection with a suspected election vote buying scandal involving a former justice minister and his lawmaker wife. The firm supported the wife, Kawai Anri, in an Upper House election last year.
Prosecutors investigated the company in July in relation to allegations of election violations involving her and her husband Kawai Katsuyuki. The couple were both arrested and now face trial.
The company's former head stepped down in August. His successor, Akita Foods president Okada Daisuke, told NHK in an interview last month that he believes that there had not been any money transfers, although he said he did not know about the matter in detail.
Yoshikawa was agriculture minister from October 2018 through September of last year. He is a Liberal Democrat who was first elected to the Lower House in 1996 and is in his sixth term as a member of the chamber.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu declined to comment, saying the matter is related to a criminal investigation. But he said it was common sense that a politician is held accountable for his or her activities.
