Two senior Finance Ministry officials who resigned in connection with a wining-and-dining scandal have applied for and been granted retirement allowances reduced below standard levels, Finance Minister Hikaru Matsunaga said Tuesday.
Atsushi Nagano, who had been a director general of the Securities Bureau, offered to have his retirement money cut by 30 percent, while Takashi Sugii, who held a similar post in the Banking Bureau, offered a 20 percent reduction, according to Matsunaga.
Both resigned on April 27 after being punished under the National Public Service Law for being lavishly entertained by financial institutions. As penalties, Nagano received a 20 percent salary cut over six months and Sugii was given a four-month suspension.