A study in ethical contrasts

LAST WEEK, Japan’s economy minister Akira Amari resigned under a cloud of controversy, after having been hit with accusations that he accepted $101,000 in bribes from a construction firm in exchange for favors in government contracts.

Just prior to Amari’s resignation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a public statement pledging firm support for his embattled economic guru, but demanded that Amari explain his side to address the allegations that had been made in an investigative report by a tabloid newspaper in Japan.