The Japanese Minister of Justice suggested yesterday a mysterious connection between himself and an al-Qaeda agent involved in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings.

Kunio Hatoyama suggested that the terrorist had offered advance warnings of at least one bombing attempt. During his disclosure to foreign journalists Mr Hatoyama recounted a disjointed anecdote in which he said that a “friend of a friend” was an operative for the terror group.

The al-Qaeda member had paid many visits to Japan about three years ago, he said, disguising his identity with moustaches and beards each time. Mr Hatoyama met the friend, who told him about the terror operative through a circle of butterfly enthusiasts.

The minister made the strange revelations as he sought to defend controversial new measures on mandatory fingerprinting. From next month most foreign adults entering Japan will be photographed and electronically fingerprinted – a move criticised by human rights activists.

As minister in charge of introducing the law, Mr Hatoyama was eager to demonstrate the need for tighter controls to deter criminals and terrorists from entering the country. He said that the al-Qaeda contact, who had visited Japan, had given warning via his friend of the risk of a bomb attack on the tourist-packed island of Bali.

Mr Hatoyama comes from Japanese political aristocracy and is the grandson of a former prime minister. At the time of the Bali bombings in 2002 he was chairman of a special committee of parliament charged with planning for an armed attack on Japan.

“This particular person was actually involved in the bombings of the centre of Bali,” Mr Hatoyama said. “Although he is a friend of my friend, I was advised not to go close to the centre of Bali because it would be bombed.”

After the furore over his remarks, the minister appeared to backtrack, saying that he was not sure after all whether the suspect was a member of the terror group.

“I was unclear and misleading on parts of what I said and I want to make corrections,” he said. “I myself am not a friend of anyone who is thought to be a member of the [al-Qae-da] organisation and I don’t know them personally.”

He also insisted that he had not been forewarned personally of any terrorist attack but did not deny that the mysterious contact had generally issued advance warnings about possible al-Qaeda activities. “As a matter of fact, it was three or four months after the Bali bombings when I heard the story and it is not true that I knew the bombing plan before it happened,” he said in a hastily written letter late yesterday afternoon.

The only al-Qaeda-linked terror suspect known to have visited Japan regularly is Lionel Dumont, a French Muslim fugitive convicted of robbery and murder in Bosnia in 1997 and jailed for 20 years.

Times Recommends

• Rio Tinto four held as China prepares case
• Diplomats must keep heads down and trousers up
• When in Rome should one make like Berlusconi?