AKITA - An Akita prefectural official has been suspended for six months and demoted two ranks after an investigation found he had joined an online media interview from a love hotel while with a woman who was not his wife, despite initially claiming he was at home because he was unwell.
The official, who serves as a corporate attraction promotion supervisor in the Akita Prefectural Government's Department of Industry and Labor, appeared during an online interview wearing a bathrobe and smoking a cigarette.
The interview concerned the construction of an artificial intelligence data center.
During the prefecture's initial inquiry, the official said he had been at home because he was feeling unwell and had unconsciously smoked one cigarette during the interview.
A subsequent prefectural investigation found that explanation was false.
The prefecture determined that the official had in fact been at a love hotel with a woman who was not his wife when he participated in the interview.
Genetsu Takahashi, head of the prefecture's Department of Industry and Labor, apologized over the incident. "I sincerely and deeply apologize for causing discomfort," Takahashi said.
The prefectural government imposed disciplinary action on the official, suspending him from duty for six months and demoting him by two ranks.
Source: FNN
