翻訳 47
『バンキシャ！』，虚偽証言報道日本テレビ社長が引責辞任
奥田良胤
日本テレビの報道番組『真相報道バンキシャ！』（以下『バンキシャ！』と記す）が虚偽証言に基づいて岐阜県の裏金づくりが継続していると報道した問題で，日本テレビ放送網の久保伸太郎社長が，2009年3月16日付で引責辞任し，報道局長が役職罷免された。
『バンキシャ！』は08年11月23日，岐阜県の土木工事事務所が架空工事を発注し，裏金づくりを継続しているという，元土木建設会社役員（58歳）の話を匿名で報道した。
番組では，2年前に裏金づくりが発覚した岐阜県でいまでも裏金づくりが継続している，との証言を得たとして元役員の証言を紹介した。顔にモザイクのかかった元役員は，県の担当者の依頼で架空工事を受注したようにして20年以上も岐阜県の土木工事事務所の裏金づくりをしている，などと証言した。
06年に17億円の裏金が発覚し，職員2人が業務上横領罪で有罪判決を受けた岐阜県では事態を重視し，放送の翌日から徹底的な調査を実施したが，証言されたような事実は確認できなかった。このため，岐阜県は09年2月に元役員を氏名不詳のまま偽計業務妨害容疑で警察に告訴した。
岐阜県警と中津川警察署は3月9日，元役員を偽計業務妨害容疑で逮捕した。
一方，日本テレビは3月1日放送の『バンキシャ！』で，男が裏金づくりをしていた事実はなかったと証言を翻したと釈明し，視聴者と岐阜県などに迷惑をかけたと謝罪するとともに，3月5日に足立久男報道局長が岐阜県庁を訪ね，知事に謝罪した。
また，NHKと民放でつくる第三者機関「放送倫理・番組向上機構」（BPO）の放送倫理検証委員会が3月13日，この誤報問題を審理することを決めた。同委員会は，徹底的な調査が必要だとして「特別調査チーム」を初めて設置した。「特別調査チーム」には，弁護士や有識者など委員が加わり，日本テレビは調査に全面的に協力する責務を負った。
このような経過のなかで3月16日，日本テレビは，久保伸太郎社長の引責辞任と足立久男報道局長の役職罷免を発表した。
久保社長は，幅広い取材や裏づけが不足した取材過程，取り上げ方などすべての責任をとって辞職すると辞任の理由を述べるとともに，社長辞任に値する案件だと報道局員がどの程度理解しているかとも述べ，事態の深刻さへの認識が局内に希薄だとの危惧を明らかにした。
日本テレビは3月24日，社内調査の途中結果を公表した。
それによると，証言者や出演者は，インターネットで募集しており，謝礼を前提にしていたという。逮捕された元役員は，4年前にも『バンキシャ！』に出演してインターネットで薬品を購入した経験を語り，出演料1万円と交通費を受け取っていたという。また，元役員が証拠として示した架空工事費の小切手には実在の業者が書かれていたにもかかわらず確認取材を怠ったことや，岐阜県庁に対する取材では具体的な事例を示してコメントをとっていなかったことなどが明らかになった。
日本テレビは，BPO放送倫理検証委員会の調査結果が出た段階で，なぜこのような誤報が起きたのかを検証する番組を放送することにしている。
https://www.nhk.or.jp/bunken/summary/research/focus/245.html
NTV president resigns over false broadcast on 'Shinsō Hōdō Bankisha!'
By Okuda Ryōin
President of Nippon Television Network, Kubo Shintaro, has taken responsibility for a false report on NTV's 'Shinsō Hōdō Bankisha!' and announced his resignation, effective from March 16th 2009. The head of the news bureau was also removed from his position due to the program's allegation that the Gifu Prefectural government was operating a slush fund. On November 23rd 2008, 'Bankisha' featured the claims of an anonymous 58 year old former civil engineering firm employee that the Gifu Prefectural government's civil engineering department were operating a slush fund and had taken out fake construction work contracts.
The source had his face obscured in the program, and alleged that the slush fund that had been discovered two years previously in Gifu was still in use. He stated that he had been involved in operating the slush fund for over twenty years at Gifu Prefecture's civil engineering department, and that he had accepted orders for fictional construction works at the request of the department's staff.
In 2006, the discovery of a slush fund of 1.7 billion yen at the Gifu Prefectural government resulted in two employees being convicted of embezzlement. The government naturally took these new allegations seriously, starting a thorough investigation the day after the 'Bankisha' broadcast. Ultimately it did not discover the alleged practices, and in February 2009 Gifu Prefecture lodged a criminal complaint against the anonymous source for obstructing government operations.
The man was arrested on March 9th by Gifu Prefectural Police at Nakatsugawa police station.
The source retracted his allegations in a NTV broadcast on March 1st, and apologized to the viewers and Gifu Prefecture for the inconvenience he had caused. On March 5th, the head of the news bureau, Adachi Hisao, visited Gifu to apologize to the governor.
The Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement Organization (BPO), a third party organization created by NHK and commercial broadcasters, committed to an inquiry into the false reporting on March 13th. The committee evaluated that a thorough inquiry was required, and for the first time ever set up a 'special investigation team.' The team included lawyers and experts, and NTV was obliged to fully cooperate with the inquiry.
It was under these circumstances that on March 16th, NTV announced the resignation of President Kubo Shintaro and the removal of Adachi Hisao from his post as head of the news bureau.
Kubo explained the reasons for his resignation, stating that he took responsibility for all aspects of the reporting process, the approach taken by the program and the lack of research and corroboration. He indicated that the head of the news bureau would understand the seriousness of the matter given it merited the resignation of the president, and made clear his concerns that employees within the station had displayed insufficient awareness of the serious nature of the situation.
On March 24th, NTV announced the interim findings of their internal investigation.
According to the report, witnesses and actors were recruited online under the condition of being paid. The source who was later arrested also featured in an episode of 'Bankisha!' four years ago, when he was paid ten thousand yen plus travel expenses in exchange for talking about his experiences of buying drugs online. It also revealed that, even though it had been written by a genuine contractor, NTV staff had failed to verify the check that the source had used as proof for the fictional construction work and staff had also failed to show a concrete example to Gifu Prefectural government and ask them for comment.
NTV will broadcast a follow-up program explaining why the erroneous program was broadcast once the results of the BPO's investigation have been released.
