Ex-Govt Exec in JAXA Bribery Case Released on Bail

August 16, 2018

Tokyo- Former science ministry executive Kazuaki Kawabata, indicted over a bribery case related to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, was released on bail on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Tokyo District Court decided to grant him bail. Kawabata left the Tokyo Detention House by taxi after the 10-million-yen bail was posted.

Kawabata, 57, former director-general for international affairs, was indicted Wednesday for taking bribes totaling 1.5 million yen, including in the form of wining and dining, between August 2015 and March 2017, when he was on loan to JAXA.

In exchange, he allegedly gave favors to medical consulting firm executive Koji Taniguchi, 47, who was also indicted in the bribery case. Jiji Press