Japan bribed smaller countries with cash and prostitutes to keep whaling, reports the Sunday Times.
The newspaper reports that Japan was leaving nothing to chance in trying to buy votes from International Whaling commission members. It said the countries voted with the whalers because they received large amounts of aid from Japan.
It reports: "They receive cash payments in envelopes at IWC meetings from Japanese officials who pay their travel and hotel bills. One (IWC member) disclosed that call girls were offered when fisheries ministers and civil servants visited Japan for meetings."
Some were getting as much as $1000 a day spending money.
Is it any wonder then that Japan is pressing on with its annual whaling hunt despite protests from conservationists and legal action from the Australian government.
Japan has been exploiting a legal loophole in the Whaling Convention which permits 'scientific whaling' to be undertaken. Everyone knows what's going on but nobody has done anything about it.
These allegations need to be investigated. Bribery of any sort should not be tolerated.
no comment untill now