Hyogo Governor Apologizes over Harassment, Rejects Illegality Charge

Kobe, March 26 (Jiji Press)--Motohiko Saito, governor of Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, apologized to prefectural government workers Wednesday, after a third-party panel last week found that his prefecture's actions to identify a whistleblower accusing him of harassment violated the whistleblower protection law.

"I sincerely apologize for causing discomfort and burdens to staff," Saito said at the prefectural assembly.

But he later denied the illegality of the actions to identify the whistleblower in a press conference at the prefectural office in Kobe, saying that they were appropriate.

The panel said that the prefecture's actions were illegal and that the punitive dismissal given to the whistleblower was invalid. It identified 10 cases of harassment by Saito.

Saito told the press that he "takes seriously" the panel's acknowledgement of harassment, but expressed "doubts" about the panel recognizing the complaint against the governor as whistleblowing.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]