Breaking Silence: Top Attorney Weighs in on Hyogo Prefecture Parade Subsidy Scandal – Whistleblower Protection Act Takes Center Stage

On the 18th, lawyer Masaru Wakasa, former deputy chief of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Division, appeared on Fuji TV’s information program “Mezamashi 8” (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m.). He spoke about the issue of the allegations against Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito (46).

The indictment also stated that the prefectural government had lobbied financial institutions in the prefecture to donate funds for the Hanshin-Orix victory parade in November 2023 in return for increased subsidies.

Regarding the “fund repatriation suspicion” surrounding the victory parade, Saito denied it at a press conference on the 11th, saying, “The subsidy project for financial institutions and the donation for the parade were conducted close together, but I believe they have been handled separately.”

MC Tanihara Shosuke asked, “In a related matter, the general affairs manager who was in charge of the parade at the time died in the midst of this whole scandal. Even if all the people involved on the prefectural side deny it, we don’t know if this was a case of subsidy repatriation, or if this is the way it was done, but is there a possibility that there is a legal problem with this?” Wakasa pointed out, “Speaking only of possibility, I think there is room for suspicion of third-party bribery. However, the requirements are not that simple, so I think it is unlikely that charges could actually be brought.”

Wakasa then explained, “This accusation was an internal whistleblower’s report of seven suspicions. Originally, the Whistleblower Protection Act only applies if the content of the report is a crime or a suspected crime, or something similar. However, if it was just power harassment, and there is no criminality yet, then the Whistleblower Protection Act may not apply. However, this is a matter of great importance, and since this is a report of such content, it will naturally develop into a matter where the Whistleblower Protection Act applies.” He continued, “At the outset, this is a very important matter in that it was an accusation of a suspected crime, and I think it will play a very important role in the subsequent flow of events.”

◇ Seven suspicions in the document incriminating Hyogo Governor Saito

(1) Personnel: Two vice presidents of the Hyogo Earthquake Memorial 21st Century Research Institute suddenly dismissed
(2) Gubernatorial election: Senior officials assisted Motohiko Saito in the 2021 gubernatorial election
(3) Gubernatorial election: He visited chambers of commerce and other organizations to ask for votes for the next gubernatorial election.
(4) Receiving gifts: Received a coffee maker, a road bike, etc. from a local company
(5) Party tickets: The Vice Governor and others had the Chamber of Commerce and Industry purchase a large number of party tickets to raise political funds for Mr. Saito.
(6) Victory parade: The Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes illegally collected funds for their victory parade from credit unions and other institutions
(7) Power harassment: Banging on a desk in anger or yelling at staff

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