Suspicion is mounting that Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito may have unfairly punished a prefectural government employee who charged him with power harassment and corruption.
He has been accused of neglecting to take appropriate action as required by the whistleblowing system after the employee denounced his abusive behavior.
In an Aug. 7 news conference, Saito explained the timeline of the actions he and the prefectural government took in response to the accusations against him made in March by the former head of the prefectural government’s branch office in charge of the western Nishi-Harima region.
On March 20, the governor himself obtained, from a private acquaintance, a document sent by the former employee, who died in an apparent suicide in July, to some media outlets and prefectural assembly members.
The next day, he discussed the matter with then Vice Governor Yasutaka Katayama, who resigned at the end of July, and other senior officials. During this meeting, the man’s name was mentioned and the governor ordered an investigation.
The whistleblower protection law defines media outlets as possible reporting channels and prohibits disadvantageous treatment of whistleblowers under certain conditions.
However, the top officials who attended the meeting made no specific examination to determine whether this case constituted a whistleblowing disclosure, nor did they consult with a lawyer over the issue.
Moreover, both the governor and the vice governor were the subjects of...
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