Japan Foreign Ministry Removes Russian Division Chief

June 6, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's Foreign Ministry has removed Tadaatsu Mori, director of the Russian Division at its European Affairs Bureau, from the post as he has committed an act that damages the public trust.

Based on the national civil service law, the ministry suspended Mori, 49, from office for nine months, transferring him to the secretariat for the foreign minister, apparently over sexual harassment.

Toshihiro Aiki, deputy director-general of the European Affairs Bureau, doubles as Russian Division director for now.

The disciplinary action and appointment took effect Monday.

"It's regrettable that the incident has occurred," Foreign Minister Taro Kono told reporters on Tuesday, adding that the ministry takes the matter seriously and will work on strengthening discipline among its workers.

The ministry stopped short of disclosing details about what Mori did, in order to protect the privacy of the victim.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Mori has admitted during questioning by the ministry that he had trouble in his human relations.

Mori became Russian Division director in January last year and took part in negotiations with Russia over northwestern Pacific islands at the center of a longstanding territorial row between Tokyo and Moscow. He accompanied Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his Russian tour last month.

In April, Junichi Fukuda resigned as vice finance minister, the top bureaucrat post at the Finance Ministry, over sexual harassment. Jiji Press