Education Minister Hakubun Shimomura admitted Thursday that his secretary had urged support groups not to speak to reporters about allegations that he misused political funds.

During a Lower House Budget Committee session, Shimomura said his secretary had emailed regional support groups telling them that if they received media inquiries they were to refer them to his office.

He said that the secretary did not intend for the move to be a prohibition on speaking, but a measure to prevent reporters getting the wrong picture.