Japan MSDF captain suspected of leaking state secret

A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force captain is suspected of leaking information designated as a state secret, government sources said Saturday, the first time such a breach came to light.

The leak occurred when a former MSDF official asked the captain for information via another MSDF personnel, the sources said, though the contents of the unauthorized disclosure is not known.

Under the secrecy law which took effect in 2014, civil servants and others who disclose sensitive information regarding foreign policy, defense, counterterrorism and counterespionage that are designated as state secrets can face up to 10 years in prison.

As of the end of June, there were a total of 693 state secrets, of which 392 were designated by the Defense Ministry, according to the Cabinet Secretariat.

The Defense Ministry’s secrets include information related to electromagnetic waves, image data and military operation plans.

The creation of the secrecy law was part of late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policy to strengthen the country’s security.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES