Japan lawmaker arrested on casino bribes suspicion

Tokyo prosecutors arrested ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Tsukasa Akimoto on Wednesday on suspicion of accepting bribes from a Chinese company interested in setting up a casino in Japan, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Akimoto was senior vice minister in the cabinet office until October 2018 and oversaw the government's policy on introducing casinos, as part of prime minister Shinzo Abe's plan to stimulate the economy and tourism.

When asked about the reported arrest, Akimoto's office said it had not heard anything. Tokyo prosecutors declined to comment. Akimoto, whose office was raided by prosecutors last week, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, including through his Twitter account.