Japan's cronyism scandal worsens with suicide note

A cronyism scandal engulfing the Japanese government has taken a dark turn, with reports that a finance official left a note before his suicide saying he was forced to rewrite crucial records, a media report said on Friday.

The Finance Ministry admitted this week that it had altered 14 documents surrounding the sale of public land at an 85 per cent discount to a nationalistic school operator with links to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife Akie, the Guardian report said.

The revisions, made early last year, included removing references to Abe and the first lady before the records were provided to parliamentarians investigating suspicions of influence-peddling.

The official from the local finance bureau that oversaw the transaction was found dead at his home in Kobe last week.

It has been revealed the man, aged in his 50s, left the detailed suicide note stating he was worried he might be forced to take all the blame, the Guardian reported.

He said his superiors had told him to change the background section of the official documents surrounding the Osaka land sale because they were supposedly too specific, according to public broadcaster NHK.

He reportedly made it clear that he did not act alone but in line with Finance Ministry instructions.

In a sign of the growing pressure on the government, Taro Aso, the Deputy Prime Minister, cancelled his appearance at a meeting of G20 Finance Ministers in Argentina next week to fight for his political future.

Abe has previously said he would resign if he or his wife were shown to be personally involved in the land deal with school operator Moritomo Gakuen.

--IANS

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