The Defense Ministry on Monday dismissed a Maritime Self-Defense Force captain over the alleged leak of state secrets to an outsider, making it the first case of crackdown since a secrecy law came into effect in 2014.
A Self-Defense Force criminal investigation unit referred the captain, 54-year-old Takashi Inoue, to prosecutors for allegedly giving classified information to a former MSDF admiral who had already retired from the force, according to the ministry.
In March 2020, Inoue allegedly disclosed secret information regarding "situations surrounding Japan" as well as the SDF's operation and trainings, and had "a strong sense of awe" toward the former admiral who was once one of his close superiors, according to the ministry.