The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office has arrested the manager of an art gallery on suspicion of taking 10 million yen in bribes from Wakachiku Construction Co. in August 1996 in collusion with former Construction Minister Eiichi Nakao.
Kunio Fukumoto, the 73-year-old manager of Fuji International Art in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, was arrested Friday. Investigative sources said Saturday that Fukumoto tutored Wakachiku's former chairman, Hiroshi Ishibashi, on "the proper manner" in which to deal with politicians, including how to lobby them and provide them with funds.
Fukumoto is suspected of accepting the money from Wakachiku in exchange for acting as a middleman to help the firm become a government-designated bidder for public works projects.