Diet Debates Pm's Son's Alleged Wining & Dining
A senior Japanese communications ministry official has admitted that he discussed the satellite broadcasting business during a dinner meeting paid for by a broadcasting-related company. A son of Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide works for the firm and was at the dinner.
Akimoto Yoshinori, who heads the ministry's information and communications bureau, was speaking at the Lower House budget committee on Friday.
A magazine recently reported that Suga's son repeatedly entertained Akimoto and other senior officials last year in a possible violation of the law. It has published a partial transcript of an audio recording it claims to have made at one of the meetings in December.
The ministry oversees the broadcasting industry, and government officials are banned from receiving gifts or being entertained by interested parties.
At the start of Friday's session, communications minister Takeda Ryota apologized to the public for inviting doubts in relation to media reports.
A senior ministry official said Suga's son and the head of a subsidiary of the broadcasting firm have told a ministry hearing that the remarks in the transcript were made by them.
Opposition lawmakers say that the meeting was definitely one between an industry overseer and a firm under its supervision. It added that Akimoto could not have been unaware of the nature of such an event.
Akimoto told the Lower House committee meeting that he might have made such a remark. He said when he was invited to the meals, he never thought that they were business-related. He added that he will sincerely reflect on his poor understanding.