31.   Prosecutors arrested a former senior Japanese Defense Agency official and three company executives Thursday for in a scandal involving cozy ties between the government and a defense contractor.

32.   Prosecutors arrested the former president of Nomura Securities Friday on charges of approving illegal payoffs to corporate racketeers, a Nomura spokesman said.

33.   Prosecutors arrested two executives Friday on suspicion that they helped their scandal-plagued bank carry on business with a corporate extortionist instead of telling the police.

34.   Prosecutors arrested two Foreign Ministry officials Tuesday on suspicion they misused state funds earmarked for aid to Russia, news reports said.

35.   Prosecutors on Tuesday arrested an aide to a once powerful, but scandal-tainted politician whose influence peddling has rocked the government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

36.   A court released three opposition party officials arrested by prosecutors on suspicion of stealing government documents from a room in the legislature, court officials said Saturday.

37.   A controversial government bailout of housing loan companies was dealt another blow Thursday when prosecutors arrested one of the leading borrowers from the companies on fraud charges.

38.   Also Friday, South Korean prosecutors arrested a low-ranking agency official on charges of bribing a Korean-American businessman.

39.   Also Wednesday, prosecutors arrested another EOHR activist, Mustafa Zeidan, who visited al-Kusheh to investigate.

40.   Anti-corruption prosecutors arrested a top judge Tuesday.