Photo/Illutration Sanae Takaichi, the internal affairs minister, announces disciplinary measures on Dec. 20 in relation to the leaking of proposed disciplinary action to a top executive of Japan Post Holdings Co. (Ryo Inoue)

The top career bureaucrat of the internal affairs ministry was effectively dismissed for leaking information about possible disciplinary measures against the Japan Post group over its questionable sales tactics involving insurance policies.

Sanae Takaichi, the minister of internal affairs and communications, said at a Dec. 20 news conference that Shigeki Suzuki would be suspended as administrative vice minister for three months.

Suzuki, however, submitted his resignation effective Dec. 20.

Takaichi said Suzuki leaked the draft of planned administrative penalties to Yasuo Suzuki, the senior executive vice president of Japan Post Holdings Co. who had previously served as administrative vice minister.

The disciplinary action was related to questionable sales of insurance policies offered by Japan Post Insurance Co. and sold through Japan Post Co.

Buichiro Kuroda, a vice minister for policy coordination, will become the new administrative vice minister at the ministry.

Takaichi herself will return three months of her minister’s salary as her way of taking responsibility for the information leak.

Shigeki Suzuki entered what was then the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in 1981 after graduating from the University of Tokyo. He became administrative vice minister in July.