Former Vice Defense Minister Moriya arrested for taking bribes

Prosecutors arrested former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya on Wednesday on suspicion of taking bribes from recently arrested defense equipment trader Motonobu Miyazaki while he was still the top defense bureaucrat. Moriya, 63, has admitted to being frequently wined and dined by Miyazaki, 69, a former executive of defense equipment trading house Yamada Corp and former president of another trader Nihon Mirise Corp, and playing golf with him in violation of an in-house ethical code of conduct.

But in parliamentary testimonies last month and this month, Moriya flatly denied doing special favors for the two firms. Investigative sources said the prosecutors suspect Moriya gave special favors to Yamada and Nihon Mirise, both based in Tokyo, on matters including procurement of General Electric Co's engines for the Air Self-Defense Force's next-generation CX aircraft in 2005 and later. Moriya is also alleged to have been involved in Yamada's padding of bills for U.S. radar-jamming equipment for helicopters.