Only 12 of the nearly 600 Foreign Ministry officials investigated for their connections with a former ministry official involved in an embezzlement scandal admitted receiving gifts from him or being entertained by him, all describing them as "modest."
The conclusion was the main outcome of the ministry's internal investigation into how other officials may have been involved in the alleged embezzlement by Katsutoshi Matsuo, who reportedly used for private purposes at least 54 million yen from public funds dispensed for Japanese VIPs' overseas visits.
While the ministry says it is making every effort to uncover the truth, the findings are limited as the investigation is based on the self-assessment of respondents, who were asked to identify themselves in their written answers.