Former Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly member Seiji Kataoka (58) was arrested for allegedly accepting ¥28 million from Kitakyushu-based health equipment company Sun Life in exchange for providing favors during the approval of the prefecture’s 2022 budget, which included subsidies for a trampoline-based exercise program. Kataoka had repeatedly promoted the program in assembly sessions while in office. Sun Life’s president, Yoshimi Oniki (66), was also arrested for bribery. Fukuoka Prefecture began subsidizing this exercise program in 2019, and by 2022, its budget had grown to ¥1.78 billion, an increase of over ¥1.5 billion from the initial year. Police are investigating the budget’s expansion and the relationship between Kataoka and the company. The suspects’ statements have not been disclosed due to the ongoing investigation. Source: NHK
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