Japan's ministry of communications has punished 11 senior officials for sumptuous dinners paid for by the prime minister's eldest son, Yoshihide Suga, and his fellow satellite TV executives, the Associated Press reported.

On Wednesday, the ministry announced penalties, including pay cuts and reprimands to 11 ministry employees for accepting dinners and gifts in violation of the code of ethics.

An internal ministry investigation found that between 2016 and 2019, ministry employees received about 40 meals and gifts totaling approximately 600,000 yen ($ 5,700).

This week, the Japanese prime minister apologized for his son's behavior. However, he denies any involvement of his son in business activities or his awareness that his son showed signs of attention to the employees of the ministry.