By SHOKO MIFUNE/ Staff Writer
June 13, 2024 at 13:03 JST
The Singapore Embassy in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on May 1 (Shoko Mifune)
Tokyo police referred a former Singaporean Embassy official to prosecutors on June 13 for allegedly photographing a naked boy in a public bathhouse in the capital in February.
The 55-year-old diplomat is expected to be summarily indicted on suspicion of voyeurism and trespassing within the day. He admits to the allegations, saying he took 20 to 30 photographs of the boy.
Complying with the request from the Metropolitan Police Department, the suspect returned to Japan on June 9 for questioning. He said he returned to Tokyo out of remorse and on his own will.
The Singaporean counselor was caught using his smartphone to take secret photos of a naked boy in the changing room at a “sento” public bathhouse in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on Feb. 27.
He admitted to the allegations when he was questioned by police at the facility, but he refused to accompany the officers to a police station and left the scene.
Police could not detain him because he claimed diplomatic immunity.
The man completed his assignment as counselor at the embassy on April 12 and returned to Singapore.
The MPD asked the Singaporean Embassy to help bring the suspect back to Japan for questioning by Tokyo police.
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