WORLD : Tokyo Admits Pinball Donations
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TOKYO — The Japanese government, trying to defuse opposition attempts to raise a new political scandal, admitted today that its ministers had received donations from the pinball industry but claimed that no wrong had been done.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Mayumi Moriyama told reporters that pinball parlors made legal payments of nearly $35,000 to Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu and seven of his ministers over a four-year period.
“There was nothing dubious,” Kaifu told reporters.
Moriyama said pinball parlors bought $3,200 worth of tickets to fund-raising parties given by Kaifu in 1985 and 1986.
Ministers denied that they did any special favors for the pinball industry in return for the money.
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