220 MILLION YEN SLUSH FUNDSecret government payments disclosedJapan Times / Feb 2 / HIROSHIMA (Kyodo)The Cabinet Secretariat has filed a document with the Hiroshima District Court showing it paid 220 million yen in discretionary funds to then Chief Cabinet Secretary Hidenao Nakagawa in 2000, sources close to the case said Saturday.
The Cabinet Secretariat did not disclose how the money was used, saying it could harm relations with other countries...use is not made public due to national interests. However, it is widely believed the funds are used for wedding gifts and condolence money at funerals and by lawmakers on overseas trips.
