Tokushima prefectural police arrested Awa Mayor Hisato Machida, 69, and two other men on suspicion of fraud on Tuesday, alleging they took ¥3.5 million from the city of Awa through a cable network project, Kyodo News reported.
Police suspect the three conspired to bill the city for replacement work on equipment at its cable network facility, including repair costs from a traffic accident Machida caused.
On April 4, 2025, the city paid ¥3.5 million to a contractor as part of the work charges, according to the allegation. The payment covered the repair costs.
Machida heads the city government in Tokushima Prefecture, on Shikoku. The case puts a sitting mayor at the center of a scheme to route money out of his own administration's budget.