Ministry Punishes Officials For Ethics Violation
Japan's Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications has taken disciplinary action against nine officials of his ministry and reprimanded two others for violating the ethics code for national government employees.
The officials were repeatedly wined and dined by the eldest son of Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. Suga's son works for a firm involved in satellite broadcasting.
The communications ministry oversees the broadcasting industry, and government officials are banned from receiving gifts or being entertained by interested parties.
The ministry on Wednesday announced disciplinary penalties against five senior officials and two lower-level officials with pay cuts.
Two other lower-level officials were admonished, one other was reprimanded, and another was given the equivalent to a reprimand.
In addition, Minister Takeda Ryota will himself voluntarily return three months' wages, and Vice Minister Kuroda Buichiro received a strict caution.