Lawmakers strongly criticized the Justice Ministry on Thursday for what they called its leniency in reprimanding a former high-ranking prosecutor.
Giichi Tsunoda of the Democratic Party of Japan said that although prosecutors under the ministry accused bureaucrats of other ministries of being entertained by people in the private sector, the ministry did not recognize similar wining and dining as bribery when it was applied to those in its own ranks.
It is unfair for the ministry to differentiate between Justice Ministry officials and other ministry officials, Tsunoda said. Four Finance Ministry officials were found guilty last year of being entertained by people in the private sector under their ministry's jurisdiction.