Prosecutors seek sentences in Japan offshore wind bribery case

Prosecutors are set to seek sentences on November 5 in a bribery case linked to Japan’s offshore wind policy.

Former lawmaker Akimoto Maruyama is charged with taking bribes, while former Japan Wind Development president Tsukawaki Masayuki is charged with giving them.

Both defendants deny the charges and pleaded not guilty at their first hearing in Tokyo in November 2024.

Prosecutors say Tsukawaki covered horse-related costs that helped Akimoto enjoy owning racehorses, while the defence says Akimoto only helped with Tsukawaki’s breeding business.

The trial has also brought testimony about offshore wind policy, which Japan has promoted as a main source of renewable energy.

The policy decisions behind that push remain unexamined, even as testimony has offered a glimpse of how they were made.

A verdict could come within the current fiscal year, according to the account.