The top bureaucrat at the Finance Ministry said Monday he plans to sue a weekly magazine after it alleged he repeatedly harassed several female journalists
The top bureaucrat at the Finance Ministry said Monday he plans to sue a weekly magazine after it alleged he repeatedly harassed several female journalists with sexually suggestive language.
“I don’t think I uttered unpleasant words to a female reporter that can be labeled as sexual harassment,” Administrative Vice Minister Junichi Fukuda said in a statement.
The ministry, meanwhile, said it will ask an independent lawyer to continue investigating the allegations made by Shukan Shincho magazine and Fukuda’s denials.
In a rare move, the ministry also urged any reporters who think they were harassed by Fukuda as described by the story to come forward.
“We will respond in a responsible manner so (the investigation) will not cause problems for those who cooperated,” the ministry said in a statement.
It also asked the reporters to directly contact the lawyer, rather than the ministry, to ensure the investigation remains neutral.
The article run by Shukan Shincho in its latest issue quotes several unidentified female reporters as saying Fukuda repeatedly harassed them by making unpleasant sexual remarks during one-on-one meetings.
Following Fukuda’s initial denial, the magazine posted a clip on YouTube in which the voice of a man believed to Fukuda can be heard in a conversation with someone described as a female journalist.
