Tokyo
(Reuters) - Japan’s finance ministry said on Friday it would dock the pay of
its top finance bureaucrat for sexual harassment and apologized for betraying
public trust in a scandal that has further damaged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s
ratings.
Japan's Vice Finance Minister Junichi Fukuda leaves the
ministry after announcing his resignation in Tokyo, Japan in this photo taken
by Kyodo April 18, 2018. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
Administrative
Vice Finance Minister Junichi Fukuda resigned last week after a weekly magazine
said he had harassed several female reporters, prompting the opposition to call
for Finance Minister Taro Aso’s resignation and boycott parliamentary business.
Fukuda
had denied the allegations, just one of a series amid suspected high-level
cronyism and cover-ups that have raised doubts about how long Abe can stay in
power, but the ministry said last week it would continue to investigate him
through an external law firm.
Deputy
Vice Finance Minister Koji Yano told a news conference on Friday that the
ministry acknowledged Fukuda had sexually harassed a reporter and that his pay
would be cut by 20 percent for six months.
“This
sort of action is unacceptable since it damages the dignity and human rights of
the victim,” Yano said.
“That
a bureaucrat responsible for maintaining the overall discipline of the ministry
caused this sort of problem has damaged trust in the government, caused
confusion in parliament and is extremely regrettable,” he added.
The
finance ministry said in a statement that while Fukuda still denied the sexual
harassment allegations, he admitted he had met the reporter.
Japan
has had few reported “#MeToo” cases about sexual harassment involving public
figures. Victims are often reluctant to speak out for fear of being blamed. The
identity of the female reporters in Fukuda’s case has not been disclosed.
Abe
has made his “Womenomics” programs to mobilize women in the workforce part of
his policies to boost growth, but big gender gaps persist at companies and in politics.
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