Japan Govt Official Held for Allegedly Defaming Acquaintance

Tokyo, June 24 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo police arrested a career official of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Wednesday for allegedly sending defamatory messages about a female acquaintance via online dating sites, investigative sources said. Masao Ito, the 53-year-old suspect from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, is suspected of pretending to be the woman in her 30s and sending messages damaging her reputation, according to the sources. He has admitted to the allegations. Ito, currently attached to the minister’s Secretariat, allegedly sent such messages to many people about 40 times between March 9 and 27 from manga cafes in Kanagawa. Ito posted free email addresses on the message boards of dating websites, including those for sexual purposes. He allegedly sent emails containing the woman’s photographs, real name, telephone number and fabricated sexual preferences to individuals who contacted those addresses. The woman received over a hundred phone calls and emails, prompting her to consult with the Metropolitan Police Department in mid-March. According to the ministry, Ito joined the ministry in 1996. From January this year, he was seconded to the Japan Association for the International Horticultural Expo 2027 and served as head of public relations and promotion for the event to be held in Yokohama. On May 3 this year, he reported to the ministry that he had been asked by the police to cooperate with an investigation. He was subsequently transferred to the minister’s Secretariat. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]