Disciplinary action was taken against a former Hyogo prefectural employee who accused Governor Motohiko Saito of power harassment and corruption, even though some officials opposed it, citing the legal imperative of protecting whistleblowers.
There are persistent suspicions that Saito may have influenced the decision.
In March, the former head of the prefectural government’s branch office in charge of the western Nishi-Harima region sent a document criticizing Saito and others for abusive and corrupt acts to some media outlets and prefectural assembly members.
He died in an apparent suicide in July after being investigated and disciplined in May by the local government.
The allegations represent a case with potentially serious implications that could fundamentally undermine the whistleblower protection system, which prohibits the disadvantageous treatment of whistleblowers.
The Hyogo prefectural assembly's special investigative committee (the so-called Article 100 Committee), set up to investigate the allegations, needs to swiftly clarify the facts.
The allegations made by the man in the document cover seven areas, including power harassment and the acceptance of gifts. Saito was questioned for the first time by the committee on Aug. 30.
Issues such as reprimanding staff in various situations and instructions via late-night chats were discussed. It is necessary to carefully determine whether these constitute power harassment, taking into account expert opinions.
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