Scandal-plagued farm minister Tadamori Oshima admitted during a special Diet session Thursday that a former secretary pocketed a 6 million yen political donation in 2000.
The misappropriation is a violation of the Political Funds Control Law, opposition lawmakers said, pointing out that the secretary, Norihisa Fujita, served as manager of Oshima's political fund management body.
Fujita was fired after Oshima learned of the secretary's misconduct at the end of 2001, he told the Lower House Budget Committee session. The embezzled money was not recorded in Oshima's official political funds report.