Japan Fires Defense Officials For Sensitive Information Handling Errors

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JAKARTA - Japan fired and suspended a number of defense forces officials due to various issues including mishandling sensitive information, Kyodo reported.

The Ministry of Defense said it had disciplined 218 members of the Self-Defense Forces and senior bureaucrats due to mishandling classified information and eating and drinking in the military base canteen without paying.

Individuals who face disciplinary action are also accused of abusing power.

As reported by ANTARA, Friday, July 12, 11 people were fired, two people were demoted, 83 were suspended, 14 people were deducted from their salaries, and seven others received warning letters. The rest are either reprimanded or given a warning.

With the increasing number of scandals in SDF and the ministry making people lose confidence in the government.

The practice of fraud, which is believed to involve dozens of members of the Maritime Self-Defense Forces, is thought to have happened and may have taken place from 2017 to 2022.

Regarding the abuse of power, three high-ranking officials from the ministry at the director's level and above were accused of repeatedly using words of intimidation against their subordinates, causing psychological pressure.

This behavior was revealed during or after a special ministry investigation into various forms of harassment in all SDF units from September 2022 to August 2023, following a high-level sexual harassment case involving former female member of the Rina Gonoi Land Self-Defense Forces.