Inada leaves Defense Ministry with no apology over coverup scandal

Aug 01, 2017 | News On Japan

Aug 01, 2017 (Japan Today) - At a ceremony to mark her resignation as defense minister, Tomomi Inada on Monday called for the creation of an "open" atmosphere inside the ministry and the Self-Defense Forces following a data coverup scandal, but she did not offer an apology.

Admitting the ministry responded "inappropriately" to information disclosure requests in the scandal, Inada told senior Defense Ministry and SDF officials, "I hope you will work to build an open culture, cooperate more closely, and bring together the ministry and the SDF to ride out any kind of difficulties."

Inada resigned Friday following a one-year stint that was marred by gaffes and missteps. The direct reason for her resignation, which took place just days ahead of an expected Cabinet reshuffle, was the ministry's coverup of data related to a U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, in which she was alleged to have played a role.

While denying involvement in the coverup, Inada quit her post Friday to take responsibility for the matter, which she said had "shaken public confidence" in the ministry and the SDF.

The data in question stirred controversy as they described some especially tense situations that Ground Self-Defense Force members found themselves in during the U.N. mission in the fledgling African country. The involvement of troops in conflict situations overseas is a sensitive issue in Japan due to the war-renouncing Constitution.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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