National Public Safety Commission chief Kiyoko Ono accepted payment from a company linked to a rightwing group, Ono and her aides said Friday.

The Tokyo-based construction firm, headed by a senior rightwing group member, paid Ono 20,000 yen to participate in a breakfast meeting last year.

Ono was appointed in September as chairwoman of the commission supervising Japan's police forces. She said she had no idea that money came from someone linked to the rightwing group.