Defense Minister Tomomi Inada gave the nod to withholding an apparently inconvenient fact that some controversial daily activity logs of Japanese troops in
Defense Minister Tomomi Inada gave the nod to withholding an apparently inconvenient fact that some controversial daily activity logs of Japanese troops in South Sudan existed even though the ministry had said they were discarded, government sources said Tuesday.
The Defense Ministry had said the Ground Self-Defense Force had discarded the logs recorded by its members taking part in a U. N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. The logs’ digital data were later found, but top officials decided at a meeting in February they would not disclose the fact and Inada agreed, the sources said.
The revelation suggests Inada played a role in a suspected cover-up at the top echelon of the ministry and the country’s defense forces. It is another blow to the minister, who continues to face questions over her competence due to gaffes and other missteps.
The activity logs in question turned out to have contained controversial elements regarding the security situation in South Sudan. Any government documents suggesting a conflict situation in South Sudan would be sensitive in Japan, especially in connection with the war-renouncing Constitution, which imposes strict restrictions on the use of weapons by the SDF overseas.
Inada said in a statement “there is no truth” that she approved withholding the fact that the GSDF had the daily activity logs.
