Japan's government on Monday ordered Kansai Electric Power Co. to improve its business operations following a bribery scandal involving the former deputy mayor of a town hosting one of its nuclear plants.

Taizo Takahashi, head of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, summoned Kansai Electric President Takashi Morimoto to announce the administrative slap on the wrist and directed the implementation of measures to prevent a recurrence.

"We take this seriously and will make utmost efforts to implement reforms in the hopes of regaining public trust," Morimoto told reporters.

The utility has been under fire since it came to light that Eiji Moriyama, the former deputy mayor of Takahama in Fukui Prefecture who died in March 2019, had bribed executives in exchange for giving work to a construction company tied to him.

A third-party investigation into the scandal found that 75 people had received a total of some 360 million yen ($3.4 million) in cash and gifts including suit vouchers and sumo tickets.

The executives said they could not reject the bribes for fear of retribution, both against the company and themselves -- the former deputy mayor held strong influence in the local community and had been instrumental in quelling opposition to the addition of two new reactors to the Takahama plant.

The bribes began in 1987, immediately after Moriyama retired from office, and continued for more than three decades until they were discovered in a tax audit.

Morimoto was named president of Kansai Electric over the weekend after his predecessor stepped down to take responsibility for the scandal. The utility has said it will draw up preventative measures by the end of June.

==Kyodo

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