Suga received prior report on science council nominee rejections from Sugita
The Cabinet Office made a draft list of 99 SCJ nominees that excluded the six on Sept. 24, after Suga took office as prime minister on Sept. 16.
Suga's deputy accused of blocking culture council nominees in 2016
The rejected candidates had voiced criticism of the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Suga's popularity dented by row over mixing politics with science
About 47% of respondents said the prime minister's decision to reject proposed appointments of six academics seen as critical of the administration was unacceptable.
