Senior Official Faces New Wining & Dining Probe
The Japanese government says a senior communications ministry official who was disciplined for being wined and dined by a satellite broadcaster has admitted that he was also treated to meals by telecom giant NTT.
This comes after the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine reported that Taniwaki Yasuhiko, vice minister for policy coordination at the ministry, was treated by the NTT president and others to expensive meals.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu said on Thursday that Taniwaki had told the ministry that he attended the dinners reported by the magazine.
Kato also said the ministry notified the National Public Service Ethics Board of the National Personnel Authority on Wednesday that it was launching an inquiry into the matter. He said he wants the ministry to get to the bottom of the matter quickly.
Taniwaki was disciplined with a pay cut last month after a ministry probe found he had been wined and dined by executives of a satellite broadcaster, including Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide's son.
The magazine said the NTT president also entertained Yamada Makiko, the former Cabinet Public Relations Secretary, when she was a vice minister at the communications ministry.
Yamada resigned her post earlier this month after admitting accepting an expensive meal from the satellite broadcaster.
Government officials are banned from accepting gifts or entertainment from interested parties.