Former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka on Wednesday categorically denied allegations she misappropriated the state-paid salaries of her secretaries.
Her statements, however, were widely seen as lacking in sufficient explanation.
Tanaka was speaking during a two-hour session of the House of Representatives Deliberative Council on Political Ethics, which was open to the media for the first time since the ruling and opposition parties pushed for an open session.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.