Japan disciplines 218 SDF members, defence bureaucrats for misconduct

Tokyo: Japan's Defence Ministry said Friday it has disciplined 218 members of the ministry and the Self-Defence Forces (SDF), including senior personnel, for misconduct, local media reported.

Among the reprimanded, 11 were dismissed, two were demoted, 83 were suspended, 14 received pay cuts and seven were given a formal reprimand. The others were just admonished or warned, Kyodo News reported.

Four actions were identified as inappropriate, the mishandling of classified information, fraudulent receipt of allowances for diving training and duty, consumption of free meals by unqualified personnel and power harassment, the report said, according to Xinhua news agency.

The ministry said 58 inappropriate cases related to the mishandling of confidential information took place in the Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defence Forces. Crew members on several Maritime Self-Defence Force (MSDF) destroyers have allegedly shared sensitive classified information by tasking unqualified colleagues with recording vessel movements without confirming they have the authority to do so.

The ministry also said 62 MSDF personnel, including senior members, have been suspected of collecting allowances for diving training and duty that they did not engage in, with the sum of the alleged benefit claims possibly totaling about 43 million yen (270,000 US dollars).

Meanwhile, more than 20 MSDF members and officials who were not entitled to free meals in cafeterias at SDF bases faced disciplinary action for not paying for their food.

As for the abuse of power cases, three ministry officials at the director level or higher are accused of repeatedly making intimidating remarks to their subordinates and causing them psychological suffering.

With the scandals mainly affecting the MSDF, Defence Minister Minoru Kihara noted that the MSDF needs to be reformed and he will replace MSDF Chief of Staff Admiral Ryo Sakai on July 19.

Sakai was given a pay cut for failing to adequately control and supervise those serving under him, while others such as Vice Defence Minister Kazuo Masuda and Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, chief of the ministry's joint staff, were also admonished.