The man on the giving end of a bribery scandal handed then-farm minister Takamori Yoshikawa 1 million yen ($9,615) to make it easier for poultry farmers to borrow from a government-affiliated institution, sources said.
The 1 million yen is part of the 5 million yen that Yoshikawa, as agriculture minister, is suspected of accepting from the top official of egg producer Akita Foods Co., based in Hiroshima Prefecture.
The official, 87, who has since left the company, said during questioning conducted on a voluntary basis that he gave money to Yoshikawa with the intent to help the poultry industry, the sources said. He had also served as a senior representative of the egg industry.