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Tokushima governor arrested over bribes

Tokushima Gov. Toshio Endo was arrested March 4 over bribery allegations involving public works projects.

Endo, 58, is suspected of receiving ¥8 million in bribes from Mitsuro Ozaki, a Tokyo consulting firm executive who is facing bribery and other charges in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Endo's arrest came shortly after he flew to Tokyo for questioning by investigators at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office.

Before coming to Tokyo, Endo told the Tokushima Prefectural Assembly that he did not receive any payments from Ozaki.

According to sources, Ozaki first handed Endo ¥5 million in cash in the summer of 1997, asking him to include construction firm Ichiba Nishimura in the bidding for prefectural public works projects.

Manabu Matsumoto, 62, the former head of a support group for Endo, has also been arrested in relation with the case.

Matsumoto is suspected of illegally coordinating bidding for the project and other public works projects in the prefecture. Matsumoto allegedly received about ¥3 million from Ozaki in August 2000.

Shukan ST: March 15, 2002

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