Senior Official Transferred Over Wining And Dining
Japan's communications minister says a senior bureaucrat has been transferred for wining and dining with the president of the telecom giant NTT. Takeda Ryota says the official's actions may have violated the ethics code for public servants, which bans them from receiving gifts or being entertained by interested parties.
The official in question is Taniwaki Yasuhiko, the vice minister for policy coordination. Takeda says Taniwaki has been transferred to the ministry'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 led to the internal investigation.
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 the satellite broadcaster scandal.
The minister said Monday that Taniwaki was repeatedly questioned about other violations of the ethics code, as part of that probe. "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 probe also found that Makiguchi Eiji, director-general of the global strategy bureau, was also entertained by NTT, along with former Cabinet Public Relations Secretary Yamada Makiko.
The two senior officials told the ministry they had paid for the meals themselves. But the probe found that the meals were worth more than they had paid. Yamada resigned last week over the matter.
Takeda says the ministry's probe will continue.