In Japan, a high-ranking official of the Ministry of education, culture, sports, science and technology was arrested on suspicion of receiving a bribe of 1.4 million yen from a former member of the Board of the consulting company.
The 57-year-old Kazuaki Kawabata, Director General of the Department of international Affairs of the Ministry of education, culture, sports, science and technology, was arrested by the special investigations division of the Tokyo district Prosecutor’s office. He was charged with receiving a bribe from the former Executive Director of the consulting company koji Taniguchi, reports Mainichi.
Kazuaki Kawabata, who served as Director of the Japan aerospace exploration Agency (JAXA), had “lunch” with koji Taniguchi from August 2015 to March 2017. According to the investigation, during these dinners Kawabata received 1.4 million yen, for which Taniguchi was granted certain preferential conditions.
This case is closely intertwined with another official of the Ministry of education of Japan – Futoshi Sano, which is now also under investigation. The investigation believes that 58-year-old Futoshi Sano, Director General of the Bureau of science and technology policy at the Ministry of education, culture, sports, science and technology and a former Deputy Vice Minister, included Tokyo medical University in the project of the Ministry for the son of the official was taken to this University. As a result, the University received a grant of 35 million yen.
Kawabata joined the Agency for science and technology, which was later absorbed by the Ministry of education in 1984. After heading the Department of management and coordination in the Minister’s Secretariat, he served in JAXA from April 2015 to March 2017. He entered the current post in April 2017.
