Foreign Ministry official arrested for alleged embezzlement in conspiracy with hotel employees

A Foreign Ministry official was arrested on September 6 by the Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of embezzlement of about 400 million yen in tax money. This is the third such scandal involving the ministry in just six months.

Asakawa Akio, Foreign Ministry European Affairs Bureau assistant director, is suspected of having pocketed money by padding hotel bills in connection with the 1995 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings which Japan hosted in Osaka. Also arrested were sales directors of the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo and Osaka.

Asakawa has used the fraudulent methods to make money for his private stay in the hotel with his girlfriend. Saito Shozo, a hotel employee in Tokyo, is alleged to have helped Asakawa pocket the money and took 16 million yen from the embezzled money.

Asakawa, as an influential "non-career" foreign ministry official, has been in charge of logistics for important international meetings.

At a press conference following the arrest, Deputy Foreign Minister Nogami Yoshiji admitted that many sections in the ministry have money pooled by the same methods used by Asakawa.

A former Foreign Ministry official said that those who are good at making secret funds are the first to be promoted, and that career bureaucrats are skilled in conniving at padded bills.

The Koizumi Cabinet and the Foreign Ministry should make efforts to reveal all the facts about the scandal in which the whole ministry is involved, said Akahata on September 7. (end)