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...
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