Ministry Unveils Report On Wining And Dining
Japan's communications minister Takeda Ryota says a senior bureaucrat has been transferred after wining and dining with the president of the telecom giant NTT. The ministry released an interim report on Monday, saying the official's actions violated the ethics code for public servants. They are banned from receiving gifts or being entertained by interested parties.
The official in question is Taniwaki Yasuhiko, vice minister for policy coordination.
Takeda says he has been moved to the minister's secretariat.
The announcement comes after a weekly magazine reported that Taniwaki was treated to expensive meals by the president of NTT and other executives at the firm. That prompted an internal investigation by the ministry.
The interim report says the company treated Taniwaki to three meals worth over 920 dollars over the past three years.
One of those meals was attended by Kanasugi Kenji, who was Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time. He's now the ambassador to Indonesia.
Taniwaki was already disciplined with a pay cut last month, after the probe found that he had dined with executives from a satellite broadcaster.
Those executives included Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide's son, who works for the company.
Taniwaki was one of the 11 officials reprimanded over that satellite broadcaster scandal.
The minister said Monday that as part of that probe, Taniwaki was repeatedly questioned about more violations of the ethics code involving other companies. "It is truly regrettable that his actions have hurt trust in the public service. I deeply apologize again, as the chief of the ministry," Takeda said.
The ministry also found that Makiguchi Eiji, director-general of the global strategy bureau, was entertained by NTT in June of last year, along with former Cabinet Public Relations Secretary Yamada Makiko. The interim report says Makiguchi also violated the ethics code.
Yamada resigned last week.