灰はい色いろ高こう官かん

noun

grey official; high official suspected of corruption

A metaphorical term for a senior bureaucrat or official who is suspected of corruption or shady dealings, but not yet publicly exposed. The 'grey' implies a lack of transparency, as opposed to 'black' (clearly corrupt) or 'white' (clean).

• その灰はい色いろ高こう官かんは、長なが年ねんにわたり業ぎょう界かいとの癒ゆ着ちゃくが噂うわさされていた。

  That grey official had long been rumored to have collusive ties with the industry.

• 灰はい色いろ高こう官かんの存そん在ざいが、政せい治じ不ふ信しんをさらに深ふかめている。

  The existence of grey officials is further deepening distrust in politics.