文科省前統括官に有罪　「国民の信頼損なった」―ＪＡＸＡ接待汚職・東京地裁

　宇宙航空研究開発機構（ＪＡＸＡ）の業務をめぐる接待汚職事件で、収賄罪に問われた元ＪＡＸＡ理事で文部科学省前国際統括官、川端和明被告（５８）＝起訴休職＝の判決が４日、東京地裁であった。西野吾一裁判長は「幹部官僚という自覚を著しく欠き、国民の信頼を損なった」と述べ、懲役１年６月、執行猶予３年、追徴金約１５０万円（求刑懲役１年６月、追徴金約１５０万円）を言い渡した。弁護側は無罪を主張していた。
　西野裁判長は判決で、川端被告は２０１３年末から、議員経験者を通じて知り合った医療コンサルタント会社元役員谷口浩司被告（４８）＝贈賄罪などで起訴＝に飲食接待を受けていたと指摘し、「幹部官僚として紹介されており、便宜を求められていると認識できた」と判断。実際に谷口被告の営業先だった東京医科大への宇宙飛行士の講師派遣で口添えするなどの便宜を図ったとした。
　さらに、谷口被告に「失脚したくないので、会食はご内密に」と伝えていたことなどを挙げ、弁護側の「賄賂と認識していたか疑いが残る」との主張を退け、「倫理観をまひさせた」と非難。一方、「既に社会的制裁を受けた」とし、懲役刑の執行を猶予した。
　判決によると、川端被告はＪＡＸＡ出向中の１５年８月～１７年３月、谷口被告への便宜の見返りに、東京・銀座の高級クラブなどで２１回の飲食接待とタクシーチケット１冊、計約１５０万円相当の提供を受けた。（2019/12/04-12:37）

Tokyo District Court on Wednesday sentenced former Japanese science ministry executive Kazuaki Kawabata to 18 months in prison, suspended or three years, over a bribery case related to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA.
   Kawabata "significantly lacked a sense of responsibility as a senior government bureaucrat and damaged public trust," Presiding Judge Goichi Nishino said. The 58-year-old former director-general for international affairs at the ministry was also fined about 1.5 million yen.
   The duration of the prison sentence and the amount of the fine were the same as those sought by public prosecutors. Kawabata, also former JAXA vice president, had pleaded not guilty.
   Nishino noted that Kawabata had been wined and dined since late 2013 by Koji Taniguchi, 48, former executive at a medical consulting firm, with whom he became acquainted through a former lawmaker. Taniguchi has been indicted on charges including bribe-offering.
   "Kawabata was able to recognize that he was asked to give favorable treatment as he was introduced (to Taniguchi) as a senior bureaucrat," the judge said. Actually, Kawabata did a favor to Taniguchi in the dispatch of a JAXA astronaut to give a lecture at Tokyo Medical University, a client of Taniguchi, the judge added.