A former chief of the Social Insurance Agency was served a fresh arrest warrant Monday for allegedly receiving 4 million yen more in bribes from top executives of the Japan Dental Association.
Bribes that Takeshi Shimomura, 73, is alleged to have received from JDA officials in connection with the brewing scandal now top 6 million yen, according to officials of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office.
Also served new warrants Monday were Sadao Usuda, 73, who resigned as chairman of the dental association in April, and four others linked to the key lobby.
Usuda and the four officials have already been charged with giving roughly 2 million yen in bribes to Shimomura, who also was a member of the Central Social Insurance Medical Council, as a reward for his lobbying efforts aimed at boosting dentist fees.
Prosecutors suspect that since 2001, Shimomura was also wined and dined by Usuda and other members of the dental association.