3rd-Party Panel Criticizes Hyogo Govt for Identifying Whistleblower

Kobe, March 19 (Jiji Press)--A third-party panel said in a report Wednesday that the Hyogo prefectural government's actions to identify a whistleblower over power harassment allegations against Governor Motohiko Saito violated the whistleblower protection law.

The panel of six lawyers also said that Saito's involvement in the actions was "extremely inappropriate." It acknowledged harassment by Saito in six of the 10 cases it investigated.

The third-party report came on top of a report by the Hyogo prefectural assembly's investigation committee, which concluded that the prefectural government's actions were highly likely illegal.

The third-party panel, set up by the prefectural government, has been investigating the matter since last September.

In its report, the panel recognized a former prefectural government official who died last July as a whistleblower for preparing and distributing documents alleging power harassment by Saito.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]