秋元被告、実刑確定へ　ＩＲ汚職事件で上告棄却―最高裁

　カジノを含む統合型リゾート（ＩＲ）事業を巡る汚職事件で、収賄と組織犯罪処罰法違反（証人等買収）の罪に問われた元衆院議員秋元司被告（５３）の上告について、最高裁第１小法廷（岡正晶裁判長）は棄却する決定をした。１７日付。懲役４年の実刑、追徴金約７６０万円とした一、二審判決が確定する。
　収賄罪の共犯に問われた元政策秘書豊嶋晃弘被告（４６）の上告も１７日付決定で棄却され、懲役２年、執行猶予４年とした判決が確定する。
　一審東京地裁や二審東京高裁の判決によると、秋元被告はＩＲ担当の内閣府副大臣と国土交通副大臣を兼務していた２０１７～１８年、豊嶋被告と共謀するなどし、日本でのＩＲ事業参入を目指していた中国企業側から現金や旅費など総額約７６０万円相当の賄賂を受領した。（2024/12/18-14:07）

Japan's Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by former House of Representatives lawmaker Tsukasa Akimoto, 53, against his guilty sentence in a high-profile corruption case linked to a casino-featuring integrated resort, or IR, project.
   The sentence of four years in prison and a fine of about 7.6 million yen will now become final.
   In the decision dated Tuesday, the top court's First Petty Bench, presided over by Justice Masaaki Oka, also rejected an appeal by Akihiro Toyoshima, 46, a former policy secretary to Akimoto, against his sentence of two years in prison, suspended for four years, in the same case.
   According to rulings by Tokyo District Court and Tokyo High Court, Akimoto, then state minister in charge of IR-related affairs, conspired with Toyoshima to receive bribes totaling 7.6 million yen, including cash and travel expenses, between 2017 and 2018 from a Chinese company seeking to operate an IR facility in Japan.
   In addition, Akimoto, while on bail in 2020, offered rewards to two former advisers of the Chinese company in exchange for false testimony in court that would be helpful to him.