Editorial

The personal information of a prefectural government official who accused the governor of workplace bullying was leaked externally, and there are growing suspicions that it was the governor himself who directed the leak.

If the leak was intended to give the impression that the accusations were false by undermining the whistleblower’s character, it would be extremely despicable. The governor cannot evade responsibility as the very foundation of the whistleblowing system could be shaken.

In the whistleblowing case involving Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito, the prefectural government’s third-party committee has released an investigation report that found that a former head of the prefectural government’s general affairs department leaked personal information about the former director of the prefectural government’s Nishiharima District Administration Office to three prefectural assembly members.

Several senior officials, including the former head of the general affairs department, testified to the third-party committee that they were “directed by the governor to ‘share the information.’”

The report concluded that “there is a strong possibility that the leak was directed by Saito.”

At a press conference, Saito denied the content of the report, saying he does not acknowledge that he gave the direction. What is being called into question is not his acknowledgement but fact. His stance of not being willing to admit to the facts is noticeable.

The leak of the whistleblower’s...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFBVV95cUxQMm53QnZUWEZGWWNRdVd4anNm...