Prefectural section chief held for accepting bribes
Date Posted: 2002-01-31
A section chief for the Okinawa General Bureau was arrested on Jan. 23 on suspicion of accepting bribes in connection with a government construction project. The suspect has reportedly confessed to the charges. According to the police investigation, 45-year-old Katsumasa Nakamura is being questioned about allegations that he received several hundred thousand yen in return for helping a contractor with bidding procedures and materials supply in the construction of an expressway bridge near Tomigusku Village and the airport. The suspect is believed to have received cash from a construction worker on several occasions during his tenure as project section chief from 1998-1999. The police began covertly investigating Nakamura last year when they received a tip alleging the wrongdoing. The focus of the investigation will now shift to his relationship with the construction company and how he spent the illegally gotten funds.