Arms industry fixer Akiyama Naoki arrested for tax evasion

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Arms industry fixer Akiyama Naoki arrested for tax evasion

The Tokyo Public Prosecutor’s Office on July 24 arrested Akiyama Naoki, executive director of the Japan-U.S. Center for Peace and Cultural Exchange, an organization specializing in military contracts-related affairs, on suspicion of tax evasion.

Reportedly, the charge was that when he had consultancy contracts with several trading firms and arms manufacturers, his client companies paid consultancy fees into the bank accounts of three corporations he has in the United States, including Addback International Corp., which are suspected of being dummy companies. The clients included scandal-tainted arms trader Yamada Corp.

He allegedly circulated the money transferred from his clients back into Japan via the bank account of Addback International Corp.

JCP Inoue comments on the fixer’s arrest

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Inoue Satoshi issued the following comment on the arrest of Akiyama:

“Since his testimony as a witness and that sworn by former Yamada Corporation executive Miyazaki Motonobu in the House of Councilors, Akiyama’s suspicion has been definitive. He deserves the arrest, and it is necessary to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegation.

Akiyama is said to be a fixer in the arms business in Japan and the United States, and the Japan-U.S. Center for Peace and Cultural Exchange was his platform for of activity. The then Defense Agency, defense ministers, people involved in the Japan-U.S. arms industries, and politicians linked with defense lobbyists have been members of this “Center”, and it is said that the “Center” was involved in interest-hunting over procurements of military equipment worth more than two trillion yen a year.

Under such circumstances, the JCP has demanded that the Diet subpoena former Defense Minister Kyuma Fumio and others concerned to testify as sworn witnesses in the house. The JCP will do its utmost in the Diet to reveal the whole structure of the Japan-U.S. defense interest-hunting.” - Akahata, July 25, 2008