A probe into years of accounting fraud at Kanebo Ltd. has led to a secret stash of nearly 30 million yen collected over 20 years by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry officials.

But when it comes to stashing away public funds, METI is certainly not alone.

"The money was passed down over the years from one policy planning office chief to the next," industry minister Shoichi Nakagawa said Friday. "It was the chief's responsibility to manage the funds and pass them on to his successor."