Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said Friday she will return 50 percent of one month's salary, or 250,000 yen, to the government to take responsibility for the latest scandal involving a former ministry official in a fraud case.
The ministry on Thursday fired Akio Asakawa, 56, who handled logistics work for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Osaka in 1995, after he was indicted for allegedly padding hotel bills and defrauding the government out of public money.
Tanaka receives 508,840 yen as salary and allowance as foreign minister. She also earns a monthly allowance of nearly 1.38 million yen as a Diet member.