Fusao Izumi Under Fire: Lawyer’s Shocking Whistleblower Claim Sparks Controversy in Hyogo Prefecture
Hyogo Governor Saito Embroiled in Whistleblower Controversy
Former Mayor of Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Fusao Izumi (61) recently updated his social media account, commenting on the allegations against Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito (46). The controversy centers around the prefectural government’s decision to take disciplinary action against a former prefectural official who made accusations against Governor Saito, rather than protecting him as a whistleblower.
The accusations against Governor Saito include seven key points, which were outlined in a document distributed to media outlets by the former prefectural official. These points include:
- Personnel: Two vice presidents of the Hyogo Earthquake Memorial 21st Century Research Institute were suddenly dismissed.
- Gubernatorial election: Senior officials assisted Motohiko Saito in the 2021 gubernatorial election.
- Gubernatorial election: He visited chambers of commerce and other organizations to ask for votes for the next gubernatorial election.
- Receiving gifts: Received a coffee maker, a road bike, etc. from a local company.
- 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.
- Victory parade: The Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes illegally collected funds for their victory parade from credit unions and other institutions.
- Power harassment: Banging on a desk in anger or yelling at staff.
The prefectural government determined that the document did not meet the criteria for “reasonableness,” meaning that there is a legitimate basis or reason for believing it to be true, and therefore did not fall under the Whistleblower Protection Act. As a result, the government took disciplinary action against the former prefectural official, who subsequently died.
On the 5th, the Prefectural Assembly’s Special Investigative Committee (Hyakujo Committee) questioned close aides for the first time regarding the handling of the matter. Industry and Labor Department Director Goji Harada testified that Saito gathered his close aides in March and instructed them to identify the person who created the document. There have been a series of testimonies from employees that Saito rushed to take disciplinary action against a former prefectural executive who was identified.
Fujiwara Masahiro of the Hyogo Prefectural Bar Association, who cooperated with the prefecture’s internal investigation into the disciplinary action against the accuser, appeared as a witness and stated that “(the accusatory document) is not an external report which would be prohibited from being treated adversely,” and expressed the view that the disciplinary action was justified.
Izumi criticized the prefecture’s handling of the matter, stating that the ”special lawyer” who expressed the view that the decision to take action without waiting for a decision on the public interest whistleblowing is “legally not problematic” is actually the “corporate counsel” for the organization that is being accused of “tax kickbacks.” He argued that this is a clear conflict of interest and that the lawyer’s opinion is therefore problematic.