Japanese postal fraud allegations spread

Special post offices handle mail, but–except in rare cases–do not deliver it, and their staffers are not government employees. Postal officials said Thursday the Sendai-based group held back 8 percent of payments given to them by special post offices to pass on to suppliers of postal merchandise. The organization introduced the suppliers to the post offices and used part of the kickbacks, which were pooled off the books, to make donations to election campaigns.