Prosecutors charged two former Finance Ministry bank inspectors in custody Friday with taking a combined 3.8 million yen in additional bribes from four commercial banks in return for favors.
The two officials -- Koichi Miyakawa, 53, and Toshimi Taniuchi, 49 -- were arrested Jan. 26 for allegedly leaking confidential information about inspections to big banks in return for taking bribes in the form of wining and dining and other entertainment.
Miyakawa was chief of the Financial Inspector's Office and Taniuchi was deputy head of the Financial Inspection Department's Control Division. According to the new charges, Miyakawa received some 1.35 million yen in golfing trips and other entertainment on 36 occasions from Sumitomo Bank and Sanwa Bank between July 1993 and June 1997.
Taniuchi was allegedly treated to around 2.45 million yen in similar entertainment from Sumitomo, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank on 40 occasions between September 1993 and August 1997.