Fukuda Govt Roiled by Scandal

In a growing corruption scandal, a former vice defense minister and his wife were arrested today over charges that he awarded contracts to companies that wined and dined him, the AP reports. Takemasa Moriya admits he enjoyed free golf trips and expensive dinners on the tab of the recently arrested owner of two defense companies, but argues the gifts were not bribery.

The arrests further weakened the two-month-old government of PM Yasuo Fukuda, whose current finance minister is also implicated in the scandal. The opposition party alleges that Fukushiro Nukaga had dinner last year with Moriya and the defense contractor, a charge Fukuda himself rebutted, saying Nukaga should remain in his post. Moriya and Nukaga are to be summoned to parliament. (More Japan stories.)