Japan punishes bureaucrats over "pub taxi" scandal

Japan's finance minister will return 20 percent of one month's salary to try to regain public trust after 600 ministry officials were found to have taken cash, coupons and beer from taxi drivers on late-night rides home.

The 600 were among more than 1,400 bureaucrats from 20 ministries who admitted to taking gifts in a scandal that media have dubbed the "Pub Taxis" affair.

"It's a bad custom, especially when it comes to accepting money and goods, which is outrageous," Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told reporters.

One finance ministry official received up to 1 million yen ($9,278) from taxi drivers over five years, Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told a news conference.