crime

Ex-lawmaker found guilty of casino bribe says he was wrongly convicted

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How is someone released from a Detension facility after being found guilty? I thought there was no "bail system" in Japan? Oh wait..it depends on who you are. This coward won't spend another night in dentention...

17 ( +20 / -3 )

Found guilty. Convicted and sentenced. Immediately released on bail pending appeal. Proves no such thing as hostage justice in Japan...for some!

15 ( +16 / -1 )

How is someone released from a Detension facility after being found guilty? I thought there was no "bail system" in Japan? Oh wait..it depends on who you are. This coward won't spend another night in dentention...

Exactly!

Rule 1 Make sure you are Japanese

Rule 2 Make sure you are a politician

Akimoto's lawyer Junichiro Hironaka, who represented former Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn, said the bribe givers and prosecutors may have struck a plea bargain, adding that the prosecutors' means to prove the case were "unreasonable" and the court was "sloppy" in recognizing their claim.

See?

11 ( +15 / -4 )

"one law for the rich and another for the poor"

11 ( +12 / -1 )

He was taken to the Tokyo Detention House after the ruling, but his lawyers immediately requested bail and the court accepted it.

imediatlely?

what? No worry’s about witness tampering he has already been caught doing?

‘it’s a very bizarre justice system. Others admitted their involvement and are in Jail for the crime? he is LDP not a “normal person”

10 ( +12 / -2 )

said the bribe givers and prosecutors may have struck a plea bargain

Another plea bargain victim?

5 ( +8 / -3 )

@Cricky Not normal Nippon Kaigi

5 ( +6 / -1 )

He should be rightly convicted.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

The honey in that trap is super sticky.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Akimoto, no one in Japanese politics is clean, just take the heat and be a man for once. You know what you did. All of them do.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Nothing wrong with appealing, or even questioning the ruling of any court, but in Japan there is very little chance that it will change the outcome!!

If the prosecutors case is solid and based on strong evidence then I doubt that Mr. Akimoto and his team will be able to change anything especially when it's out in the public.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Also, this article does answer the Wed question: “What fines were imposed and what is the disposition of the cash and bribes?”:

*- “The district court ordered Akimoto, 49, to pay fines of about 7.6 million yen ($69,000), an amount equal to the bribes he was found guilty of receiving between September 2017 and February 2018 from a Chinese gambling operator aiming to enter Japan's casino market.” -*

So basically, it was a ‘break even’ for Akimoto and no ‘real’ jail time.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Hironaka was in charge of a lawsuit against a journalist who accused a major consumer finance company of fraud in the 2000s.

He was criticized as a "SLAPP."

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Sounds like a crybaby, he needs to suck it up and take responsibility for his actions.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

How is someone released from a Detension facility after being found guilty? I thought there was no "bail system" in Japan? Oh wait..it depends on who you are. This coward won't spend another night in dentention...

Just for clarification's sake, Japan does have a bail system.

The way it works is, if you are detained by police as a suspect in an offence you can be held for up to a maximum of 23 days as they investigate you. Likely they will use that time to interrogate you. You have a right to contact and consult with a lawyer, but they are not allowed to be present while you are being interrogated.

During that 23 days, you are not entitled to apply for bail. But at the end of that period (or before the end in most cases actually), the prosecutor must decide whether to indict you or to release you. If they decide to indict you (which means they will proceed to prosecute you in court), at that point you become eligible to apply for bail. The default rule is that bail will be granted unless there are grounds to suspect you remain dangerous (will re-offend), will flee or will tamper with evidence (the latter is what initially caused the court to grant bail to Carlos Ghosn, though they later gave it to him).

In Mr. Akimoto's case since he has appealed his conviction they have extended his bail until that appeal is exhausted. Assuming his conviction and sentence are upheld, he'll begin serving it afterwards.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

said the bribe givers and prosecutors may have struck a plea bargain

Japan is using "plea bargain" wrong. Only Japanese prosecutors can make "plea bargaining" - used so the court and government won't spend a lot of money in trying a person - cost much more. They use it to aid their false confession tactics.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Another self centered narcissistic man child who’s pride and self importance must not be questioned or damaged at any cost.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"..........said Thursday he was wrongly convicted.........."

Well he would say that. wouldn't he.

(I can't claim to have originated that quote, credit goes to Mandy Rice-Davies for that).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ex-lawmaker found guilty of casino bribe says he was wrongly convicted

I would say thatover 50% af people covicted in Japan have been convicted wrongfully.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Akimoto’s ‘justice’ gives a different spin of “*Nothing** [was] gambled, Nothing [was] lost.” *

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

So then, give Akimoto what he wants: a new trial where he can gamble on the provisions of “Double or Nothing”. The judge can then “*double down***”** on the penalties and jail time if he ‘loses’.

- “I want the high court to judge without any preconceptions," Akimoto said.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Parole, not bail?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

In a pre-Ghosn legal world one would be inclined to believe the politician was guilty as charged. However seeing the despicably corrupt and thoroughly dishonest practices used against Carlos Ghosn and Greg Kelly by Japanese prosecutors one is now inclined to believe the politician in this matter may have been railroaded by yet another team of dishonest Japanese prosecutors, aided by weak judges and an inadequate system of verifying evidence.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Evidence will never be revealed and the summary records will be censured.

The j-justice obscurity is very effective.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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