Councilor Yoshiki Narimatsu faces accusations of leaking a draft evaluation criteria to a former deputy mayor that favored Maeda Construction Industry in the bidding for the new government building. The investigation indicates that Narimatsu and two other individuals allegedly received 60 million yen in exchange for ensuring the contract was awarded to this company.
Transparency in bidding: the digital Achilles' heel 🔍
Evaluation systems using blockchain or auditable records could prevent confidential drafts from being leaked as simple email attachments. The traceability of each change in the criteria, combined with digital signatures, would make it difficult for a councilor to show a document without leaving a trail. In Japan, only 30% of public tenders use complete digital platforms, a fact that invites consideration of more controls.
The draft worth 60 million yen 💰
Narimatsu seems to have confused his role as a councilor with that of a commercial advisor for Maeda Construction. Showing a draft to a former deputy mayor is not an administrative error; it is a free tutorial on how to rig a tender. For 60 million, they could at least have used recycled paper to cover it up.