Missing records cloud whether ousted farm minister pressed for road cuts

Kyodo reports that the absence of official records complicates the assessment of whether former farm minister Kazuo Yana pressured the land ministry to cut road budgets in Tochigi Prefecture. Yana resigned following criticism of his comments about reducing road budgets for municipalities that opposed him in a recent election. The ministry claims it maintains no records of Yana's inquiries, as they fall under the exemption for minor cases under the Public Records and Archives Management Act.

However, critics argue that the inquiries were significant and should have been documented. In February, Yana met with Masayoshi Kuroda, head of the secretariat, to discuss road project funding for two municipalities. Kuroda later claimed he had no notes from the meeting and did not believe he was pressured. A ministry official stated that Kuroda likely deemed the exchange a minor issue and therefore omitted it from records.

Constitutional law expert Masahiro Uzaki criticized the ministry for handling the matter lightly, emphasizing the importance of record-keeping and accountability.