秋元議員「記憶にない」　３００万円授受の面会―ＩＲ汚職・東京地検

　カジノを含む統合型リゾート（ＩＲ）事業をめぐる汚職事件で、収賄容疑で逮捕された衆院議員秋元司容疑者（４８）が２０１７年９月、衆院選の「陣中見舞い」などとして３００万円を受け取ったとされる議員会館での中国企業側との面会について、周囲に「記憶にない」などと説明していることが３０日、関係者への取材で分かった。企業側は贈賄工作を詳細に供述しているもようで、東京地検特捜部は経緯を詳しく捜査している。
　接見した弁護人によると、秋元容疑者は中国企業「５００ドットコム」の副社長を名乗っていたジェン・シー（３７）、顧問の紺野昌彦（４８）、仲里勝憲（４７）各容疑者＝いずれも贈賄容疑で逮捕＝と面識があることは認めているが、３００万円の授受を「一切ない」と否定。衆院が解散された１７年９月２８日の議員会館での面会を「記憶にない」と語っている。
　１８年２月にドットコム社側の負担で出掛けたとされる北海道への家族旅行については、「（支払いは）秘書に任せていた」などとしつつ、費用を負担したとの認識を示しているという。
　特捜部の調べでは、秋元容疑者は１７年９月２８日、衆院第１議員会館５階の自身の議員事務所で、紺野容疑者らから現金３００万円を受領した疑いが持たれている。紺野容疑者ら贈賄側は、この日の面会状況や、秋元容疑者を家族旅行に招待した経緯を詳細に供述したもようで、特捜部は議員事務所などの家宅捜索で押収した資料と突き合わせ、汚職の全容解明を進めている。（2019/12/30-20:34）

Arrested Japanese lawmaker Tsukasa Akimoto has said that he does not remember an alleged meeting in September 2017 with officials of a Chinese company suspected of bribing him over a plan to open a casino-featuring integrated resort in Japan, it was learned Monday.
   Akimoto, a 48-year-old member of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, was arrested last week by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on suspicion of accepting 3.7 million yen in bribes, including 3-million-yen cash, from 500.com, the Shenzhen-based online sports lottery provider, which was planning to launch an IR in Hokkaido, northernmost Japan.
   He alleged to have received the remaining 700,000 yen by having costs for his family travel to Hokkaido in February 2018 borne by 500.com. He made the travel at the invitation of the company.
   The prosecutors office suspects that Akimoto, former state minister in charge of IRs at the Cabinet Office, received the cash from three 500.com-related people during a meeting at his office on the fifth floor of a building for lawmakers in Tokyo on Sept. 28, 2017, when the Lower House was dissolved for a general election, as a financial contribution for his campaign for Lower House poll.
   Akimoto has admitted that he knows the three 500.com-linked people, arrested by the prosecutors for allegedly offering the bribes to the lawmaker, according to a lawyer who met with him after his arrest. But Akimoto categorically denied the suspected receipt of the 3 million yen. He also claimed that he does not remember the alleged September 2017 meeting, according to the lawyer.