Prefectural Committee Finds Evidence Supporting Accusations

Hyogo Governor Saito Accused of Power Harassment and Improper Gift Acceptance

A prefectural committee in Japan has investigated a whistleblower document alleging that Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito engaged in power harassment and improperly accepted gifts during his first term. The committee's report, which was unanimously approved by its members, refutes some of Saito's claims that the accusations were "a pack of lies."

The committee concluded that "certain facts have been confirmed" in several items pointed out in the whistleblower document. This contradicts Deputy Governor Yasutaka Katayama's statement that the document had a "wrongful intent." The committee also found that the document likely constitutes "external whistleblowing," meaning the informant should not be subject to dismissal or other disadvantageous treatment.

The report criticizes the prefectural government's handling of the situation, stating that the identification of the whistleblower without investigating the accusations and the subsequent leaking of their private information violated the whistleblower protection law. The report also finds fault with the government's forced resignation of the whistleblower and their subsequent suspension for three months based on the claim that the document was "untrue."

The committee urges Governor Saito to take the report seriously and address the confusion and division caused by the document. The report will be submitted to a plenary session of the prefectural assembly on March 5th.

It is important to note that the committee's report and recommendations are not legally binding. However, the findings raise serious concerns about Governor Saito's conduct and the prefectural government's handling of the whistleblower's accusations.