Prosecutors indicted a former senior education ministry official Wednesday on suspicion he was wined and dined by a consulting firm executive in return for providing favors to his company.

Kazuaki Kawabata, 57, former director general for international affairs at the ministry, is the second senior education ministry official to face criminal charges in recent weeks after another official was indicted for corruption last month.

"I deeply apologize for our damage to public trust," education minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said.