Japan ex-defense official convicted in bribery

TOKYO - A Japanese court sentenced a former senior defense official to 2 1/2 years in prison Wednesday for accepting bribes in exchange for his recommendation in government arms contracts, a court official said.

Former Vice-Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya was also ordered to pay 12.5 million yen ($125,400) in penalties — the value of the gifts and entertainment he pocketed, the Tokyo District Court official said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.

In his ruling, Judge Minoru Uemura said Moriya received golf trips, cash and other gifts when he was vice-defense minister 2003-2007, knowing that favorable treatment in contracts was expected in return.

According to a summary of the ruling published in Japanese newspapers, Moriya took golf trips worth about 8.86 million yen ($88,900) on 120 occasions from two defense trading companies led by Motonobu Miyazaki, a former executive of Yamada Yoko Corp. Moriya also accepted 3.64 million yen ($36,500) in cash gifts from Miyazaki and his two aides, paid into the bank accounts of his wife and his daughter.

Moriya, in return, recommended Miyazaki's companies in ministry procurement deals, including the 2004-2005 purchase of General Electric Co. C-X engines for next generation Japanese cargo aircraft.

The deal, worth 600 million yen, was handled — without bids — by Miyazaki's company Yamada Yoko, the Japanese agent for GE engine at the time, according to the ministry.

The court also convicted Miyazaki and his two aides of giving bribes; Miyazaki was sentenced to two years in prison, while his aides got suspended prison terms, the court official said.

Moriya appealed the ruling and has been released on bail, he said.

Japan's Defense Ministry has been under fire over a spate of recent scandals, including the death of a sailor in an unofficial farewell ritual, a confidential missile data leak, and a deadly collision between a destroyer and tuna trawler. The ministry sacked the air force chief Friday for claiming that Japan was not an aggressor in World War II.

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