A former Foreign Ministry official pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding the government of 422 million yen by padding hotel bills during meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Osaka in 1995.
During his first trial session at the Tokyo District Court, Akio Asakawa, 56, former assistant director at the ministry's European Affairs Bureau, admitted that he padded hotel bills for the November 1995 APEC ministerial meeting at Hotel New Otani Osaka and for a preparatory meeting in Tokyo the previous month. He later used part of the surplus funds for personal expenses.
Asakawa padded the bills by 43.87 million yen to 422 million yen, prosecutors said. While his lawyers claimed the 387.28 million yen was the legitimate cost of the services provided by the hotel chain, prosecutors have charged Asakawa for defrauding the entire amount on the grounds that it was sought by fraudulent means.