The Selling of Honor Incident

This case is also known as the Awards Bureau Scandal, in which Amaoka Tadayoshi, the head of the Orders Bureau of the Seiyukai Party's Tanaka Giichi Cabinet, accepted bribes from businessmen when deciding who would be awarded medals. It is also known as the Orders Bureau Scandal. A large number of decorations were to be awarded around the time of the Emperor's enthronement ceremony in November 1928 (Showa 3), but Amaoka, who had huge debts, used his authority to conspire with his private secretary Shigihara Akinobu to approach businessmen who wanted to receive decorations and accept large bribes. The case was discovered after the Minseito Party's Hamaguchi Osachi Cabinet took over. This case, which shows the collusion and corruption between government officials and financial power, drew fierce public criticism, along with the Railway Scandal that took place at the same time. In the first trial in May 1958, Amaoka was sentenced to two years in prison and Shigihara to one year and six months in prison, and the indicted private citizens were sentenced to prison or fines for bribery. He was also found guilty in an appeal trial in November 1959, and the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal in September 1960.

[Kenzo Kitagawa]

"Japanese Political Trial History Records: Showa Period and Pre-Showa Period" edited by Wagatsuma Sakae et al. (1970, Daiichi Hoki Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

政友会田中義一内閣の賞勲局総裁天岡直嘉(あまおかただよし)が叙勲決定に際して実業家から収賄した事件。賞勲局疑獄ともいう。1928年（昭和3）11月の天皇即位大礼を期して大幅な叙勲が行われることになっていたが、巨額の負債を抱えていた天岡は、その権限を利用して私設秘書役の鴫原亮暢と謀り、叙勲を得ようとする実業家に働きかけ多額の賄賂(わいろ)を受け取った。事件は民政党浜口雄幸(おさち)内閣にかわったのちに発覚。官権と金権の癒着、腐敗を示すこの事件は、同じ時期の鉄道疑獄事件とともに世論の激しい非難を浴びた。33年5月の第一審判決では、天岡は懲役2年、鴫原は懲役1年6月、また起訴された民間人らは贈賄罪で懲役または罰金刑を言い渡された。34年11月の控訴審でも有罪、35年9月大審院は上告棄却を決定している。

［北河賢三］

『我妻栄他編『日本政治裁判史録　昭和・前』（1970・第一法規出版）』

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