Defense Agency Head Quits Amid Cover-Up

The head of Japan’s Defense Agency stepped down today, one day after releasing an internal agency report that exposed a cover-up at the highest levels in a growing corruption scandal. Fukushiro Nukaga handed his resignation to Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi after a morning Cabinet meeting, an agency spokesman said. Nukaga, who served in the post since July, will be replaced by fellow ruling party lawmaker Hosei Norota, news reports said. Defense Agency officials are being investigated for allowing Japanese electronics giant NEC Corp. to inflate defense contract bills in exchange for cushy jobs for retiring bureaucrats.