What happened
Jiji Press reported on 10 November 2026 that Tokushima prefectural police arrested Awa City Mayor Hisato Machida, 69, city official Kenichi Matsuda, 42, and company employee Minoru Dohi, 53, on suspicion of fraudulently obtaining 3.5 million yen from the city. Police allege the three conspired in May 2024 to include 3.5 million yen in repair costs for a traffic accident caused by Machida in a city contract with a private company to replace cable network equipment, and that the money was obtained in April 2025 as part of the 74.25 million yen total for the works. These are suspicions at the arrest stage; Jiji did not report their responses.
How the scam works
Jiji Press reported that Tokushima prefectural police arrested Awa City Mayor Hisato Machida, 69, city official Kenichi Matsuda, 42, and company employee Minoru Dohi, 53, on suspicion of fraudulently obtaining 3.5 million yen from the city. Police allege the three conspired in May 2024 to include 3.5 million yen in repair costs for a traffic accident caused by Machida in a city contract with a private company to replace cable network equipment, and that the money was obtained in April 2025 as part of the 74.25 million yen total for the works.
These are suspicions at the arrest stage; Jiji did not report their responses. The report is about an alleged padded public contract, not a consumer home-repair pitch. Officials and contractors named here have been arrested on suspicion and have not been convicted in the coverage cited.
Source
Jiji Press, 10 November 2026: https://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2026111000804
https://x.com/Japandailydotjp/status/2120230155519918441
