SINGAPORE: A diplomat working at the Singapore embassy in Tokyo was questioned by police in Japan after being suspected of filming a male teenager at a public bath, according to Japanese media reports on Thursday (May 2).
The diplomat in question is a 55-year-old, who is a “former” counsellor at the embassy, according to NHK. A counsellor is a diplomatic rank for officers serving overseas, such as in an embassy.
Yomiuri Shimbun reported that on Feb 27, the man used his smartphone to secretly film a 13-year-old first-year middle school student in the changing room of a public bath. The boy was naked.
Staff members at the public bath in Tokyo’s Minato Ward reportedly called the police who, upon arriving, searched the diplomat’s phone and found “multiple naked photos of male customers”, according to Asahi Shimbun.
It added that the diplomat refused to go to the police station but told officers he had taken such photos in other public baths.
When asked to delete the photos from his phone, the diplomat “deleted them on the spot”, reported the Japanese news outlet. He allegedly deleted 700 photos from his phone, which he told police he had taken in the six months leading up to the incident.
The Tokyo police are investigating potential violations of child pornography laws and are planning to ask Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to have the man turn himself in, said Asahi Shimbun. Formal charges are also being considered.
In response to CNA’s queries, MFA said on Thursday evening that it was made aware of the allegations when it was contacted by the media.
The MFA officer completed his tour of duty in Tokyo as scheduled and returned to Singapore in mid-April.
The ministry said it has reached out to the authorities in Tokyo for information and will be investigating the incident, adding that it will take the “necessary actions”.
“MFA expects all its staff to uphold the highest standards of conduct, and to abide by the laws of their host countries. The ministry has reached out to the authorities in Tokyo for information and will be investigating the incident. We will cooperate with authorities and take the necessary actions,” said the ministry.
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a diplomat cannot be arrested.
When asked by the Asahi Shimbun on Thursday, the embassy was reportedly unaware of the public bath incident. The embassy also told the paper the diplomat had “completed his assignment as of Apr 12” and has returned to Singapore.
