Japan's digital minister treated to expensive meals by NTT

Digitalization minister Takuya Hirai was treated to expensive meals by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. on two occasions, the Digital Agency said Monday amid a deepening ethics scandal at the just-launched organization.Hirai had previously said he paid his share for the meals, which took place last year on Oct. 2 and Dec. 4. But the agency said he only did so this June after learning that a weekly magazine was preparing to write a story on the wining and dining.Last week, the agency said its No. 2 bureaucrat, Koichi Akaishi, was taking a pay cut as punishment for being treated to three …READ FULL ARTICLE