A former member of the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly who took part in investigating Gov. Motohiko Saito’s workplace bullying allegations last year has died in an apparent suicide — the third reported death since the controversy unfolded in March 2024.
Hideaki Takeuchi, 50, was found unconscious in the study of his home in the city of Himeji on Saturday evening. He was taken to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead, according to Jiji.
Takeuchi resigned from his post in the prefectural assembly a day after Saito’s stunning reelection as governor in November following his ousting by a unanimous vote of no-confidence in September. A probe into the governor’s alleged misconduct by the prefectural assembly’s powerful investigative panel — of which Takeuchi was a member — is still ongoing.
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