HOKKAIDO (TR) – An 87-year-old city councilman in Muroran City is facing calls to resign after being caught on tape repeatedly pressuring municipal officials to leak confidential public works bidding information, reports Nippon News Network (Aug. 6).
Hidemitsu Hadate, a veteran politician currently serving his 12th term, approached city staff on at least three occasions since July of last year in an attempt to extract insider details on construction projects eyed by his affiliated company.
In a secret audio recording from last July, Hadate can be heard brazenly demanding the minimum bid price for a gymnasium demolition project.
“I’m working out the amount for the gymnasium demolition, and I’m submitting the minimum amount. I need [the number] right now,” Hadate is heard saying.
When a city official replied, “I don’t know the amount,” the councilman pressed further: “You know the minimum amount, right?” The official again refused, stating, “No, no, I don’t know. I don’t know.”
The undue pressure continued into this year. In another instance, Hadate questioned a staff member about an upcoming civic center project, asking, “There’s a bid for the civic center, right? How many [companies] have come in?”
The official promptly rebuffed him, noting, “That is bidding information, so I think it would be inappropriate [to say].”
Last month, the Muroran City government submitted a formal letter of protest to the city council. The city condemned Hadate’s behavior as an “extremely malicious act” that risked dragging innocent public servants into criminal activity.
On Wednesday, Hadate issued a public apology for the scandal. “If this had been classified information, it would have been an irreversible situation. I am truly sorry,” he said.
However, when pressed by reporters to explain why he attempted to rig the bidding process, the veteran politician remained stubbornly evasive.
“There are various reasons, aren’t there?” Hadate said. When asked to elaborate on what those reasons were, he flatly refused. “I can’t say…I can’t say because there are various things.”
The Muroran City Council is currently preparing to submit a resolution recommending his resignation.
