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The Mainichi
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Hyogo governor must quit over role in whistleblower personal info leak
A third-party panel investigating leaked personal information about a former local official who had accused Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito of alleged power harassment has concluded that the governor himself likely instructed the disclosure. If true, such behavior is utterly unacceptable. A governor involved in these acts would be fundamentally unfit for public office. When prefectural authorities were trying to track down the whistleblower, the former head of the Nishiharima District Administration Office, they searched his work computer and uncovered files containing his private information. According to the third-party committee's investigation report, in April 2024, the former head of the prefecture's general affairs department notified the governor about the contents of this private information and then shared it with three prefectural assembly members. The former general affairs chief, a close aide to the governor, initially denied even meeting with the assembly members but later reversed his stance during the investigation. He submitted a written explanation to the third-party panel in February this year, admitting to the leak. He also reportedly claimed that the disclosure was "a legitimate task," carried out under orders from Saito and others. The prefectural government had earlier filed a criminal complaint with prefectural police regarding this leak, alleging a violation of confidentiality obligations under the Local Public Service Act, despite not naming a suspect at the time. With these findings, serious suspicion now centers on the governor himself instructing illegal acts committed by his former aide. In statements to the third-party investigators, Gov. Saito denied giving instructions, claiming, "I understood that the former general affairs chief shared information with assembly members, based entirely on his own judgment." Even after the publication of the third-party panel's report, the governor told reporters, "My understanding hasn't changed: I did not instruct the leak." However, according to the report, multiple senior officials, including a former vice governor, testified that Gov. Saito had directly ordered them to share private information with assembly members. If the governor continues to deny these allegations, he must provide a credible explanation. Prefectural Assembly members shown the personal information reportedly believed its purpose was "to raise doubts about the character of the former (Nishiharima) office chief and discredit his whistleblower accusations." The governor himself told the media that the whistleblower's work computer contained ethically inappropriate documents, indicating a deliberate attempt to publicly disclose the victim's personal information to damage his credibility. The former office chief was disciplined in connection with his accusations, being penalized on grounds that his written allegations amounted to defamation. He subsequently died in July 2024 in an apparent suicide. It is plausible the disclosure of his private information pushed the Nishiharima office chief toward suicide. Furthermore, a then Hyogo Prefectural Assembly member investigating allegations involving the governor also faced defamation and later died. No further excuses must be permitted on this matter. Gov. Saito must take responsibility and resign immediately.
The Mainichi
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Hyogo Gov., ex-deputy likely directed whistleblower's personal info be leaked: panel
KOBE -- Officials including Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito highly likely ordered a leak of personal information on a whistleblower who accused him of power harassment, a third-party committee concluded May 27. The Hyogo Prefectural Government's third-party panel the same day released the results of an investigation which found that Chiaki Inomoto, former head of the prefectural government's general affairs department, leaked information on the late former director of the Hyogo Prefectural Government's Nishiharima District Administration Office, who accused Saito of misconduct, to three prefectural assembly members. It concluded, "There is a high possibility that the leak was directed by the governor and former Deputy Gov. Yasutaka Katayama." Inomoto was punished with a three-month suspension as of May 27 for disclosing confidential information obtained through his official duties. That same day, Saito offered a renewed apology over the leak, and stated "I feel responsible as the head of the organization. I will now consider specific disciplinary measures against myself, including the possibility of a pay cut." Regarding the third-party committee's conclusion that he was likely involved in directing the leak, he stated, "My understanding remains unchanged that I did not instruct the leak." According to the committee's report, it was discovered in March 2024 that the former bureau chief's private information was saved on his work computer. Inomoto was appointed general affairs department chief that April and was handed the printed-out file of the bureau chief's personal information. From mid-April, Inomoto visited the prefectural assembly waiting rooms and other locations where he leaked the bureau chief's information by showing the three assembly members a printed document and telling them about it directly. Inomoto had initially denied any involvement in the leak, but later submitted a written statement saying that his action of leaking the information was directed by his boss. He explained that when he told Saito about the existence of such information, the latter said something to the effect of "Why don't you share with assembly members that you have that kind of document?" A then senior prefectural official who was present at Inomoto and Saito's meeting gave a similar account to the former general affairs department chief. In addition, Katayama testified that he told Inomoto to arrange things accordingly after his subordinate told him that the governor had given such instructions. Based on these statements, the third-party committee concluded that it was highly likely the governor and deputy instructed the leak. After the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported in July 2024 that Inomoto was circulating the former bureau chief's personal information to prefectural assembly members and others, the prefectural government established a third-party committee consisting of three lawyers in October 2024 to investigate the matter. Japanese original by Akira Inoh, Mami Yamada and Toru Kurita, Kobe Bureau)
The Mainichi
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Hyogo Pref.'s criminal complaint impedes media reporting in public interest
In the latest development in Gov. Motohiko Saito's alleged power harassment and other acts, the Hyogo Prefectural Government filed a criminal complaint with the prefectural police accusing an unspecified person of leaking information in violation of confidentiality obligations under the Local Public Service Act. What cannot be overlooked is that the act of providing information to the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine was included in the subjects of the criminal complaint. The move could undermine media outlets' ability to check governments through reports based on whistleblowing. The Hyogo governor's alleged power abuse and other problems came to light through an anonymous document that was created by a former chief of the prefectural government's Nishiharima District Administration Office. Based on the prefectural government's audio recordings and documents, Shukan Bunshun reported in 2024 that then vice governor had grilled the former district chief, alleging that he was the whistleblower behind the anonymous missive. Searching for a whistleblower contravenes the Whistleblower Protection Act. Shukan Bunshun's reporting was of high public interest in providing society with a glimpse into improprieties of the prefectural government's conduct. This fact was brought to light because of the individual who, even at risk, supplied insider information. Protecting the confidentiality of the sources of information is a crucial principle of the press. The prefectural government's action is unacceptable as it attempted to identify and punish the informant who should be protected. The prefecture filed the criminal accusation in response to a report by a third-party committee that investigated the information leak. Their investigation was sparked by an incident in which Takashi Tachibana, head of the political group NHK Party, and others spread online private information of unknown authenticity that was left on the former bureau chief's work computer. The information had nothing to do with the whistleblowing and was degrading of the former bureau chief, who died in 2024. Regardless, the prefectural government added Shukan Bunshun's digital edition reporting to the targets of investigation by lumping it together as "online information." The implementation outline of the inquiry, including its purpose and targets, had initially been withheld, and the details were only made public on March 31 when the report was released. That's when the inclusion of the Shukan Bunshun coverage as a subject of the investigation was first disclosed. The prefectural government's decision to treat the exposure of privacy the same as information provision that serves the public interest is beyond comprehension. It was the governor himself who decided to set up the third-party panel. While he explained that the selection of investigation targets was at the discretion of the human affairs division, he cannot evade his responsibility as the head of the prefectural administration. The prefecture is urged to withdraw the criminal complaint that could silence its conscientious employees.
