Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly member testifies to paying 7 million yen in alleged illicit payments

Akira Higuchi, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and former chairman of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly, has provided new testimony regarding allegations of illicit money exchanges within the assembly. Higuchi testified that he paid approximately 7 million yen to LDP assembly group executives prior to his appointment as chairman in 2017.

The payments reportedly covered expenses for various gatherings, including the ‘Kurauchi-kai’ golf meetings, the ‘Masters no Kai’ golf meetings, meals at high-end restaurants, and travel allowances. Higuchi noted that he even covered costs for golf outings he did not attend, stating he believed it was a ‘customary’ practice and feared his leadership positions would be jeopardized if he did not comply.

This testimony follows previous allegations from other assembly members, including Gen-aki Yoshimatsu and Hideyuki Eto, who reported paying significant sums to executives. While some former officials have denied the claims or suggested expenses were split, Higuchi asserted that there was no culture of splitting costs in these instances. A third-party committee has been established by the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly to investigate the matter.