An official from Japan’s ruling party formerly in charge of casino policy was arrested on Dec. 25 on suspicion of accepting bribes from a Chinese casino.
Tsukasa Akimoto, a House of Representatives member from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) cabinet, was accused of taking 3.7 million yen ($33,744) worth of cash and travel from a state-backed Chinese gambling operator, 500.com. He was the second House member arrested since 2010.