A diplomat from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has been suspended from duties to assist in investigations amid allegations that he filmed a teenager at a public bath in Japan.
The ministry stated that it would cooperate with Japanese authorities and take the necessary actions, including waiving diplomatic immunity if the alleged facts are confirmed.
According to reports, a diplomat working at the Singapore Embassy in Tokyo was questioned by local police after being suspected of filming a 13-year-old male student at a public bath.
The 55-year-old diplomat, who is a former counsellor at the embassy, allegedly used his smartphone to film a 13-year-old boy in the changing room of a public bath in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on Feb 27. The boy was naked at the time, according to CNA.
Police were called to the scene by staff members at the public bath, and upon searching the diplomat’s phone, they reportedly found multiple naked photos of male customers, according to Asahi Shimbun.
The diplomat declined to go to the police station but informed officers that he had taken similar photos in other public baths. He promptly deleted the photos from his phone when asked to do so, as per the report from the Japanese news outlet. He reportedly removed 700 photos from his phone that he claimed to have taken in the six months preceding the incident.
DID NOT INFORM ABOUT THE INCIDENT
The diplomat, who had completed his tour of duty in Tokyo and returned to Singapore in mid-April, did not inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) until he was asked about the incident by Japanese media on Wednesday.
The MFA was made aware of the allegations on Wednesday (May 1) when contacted by Japanese media. The officer in question had completed his tour of duty at the Singapore Embassy in Tokyo in mid-April 2024 and did not inform the ministry about the incident until approached on Wednesday.
In response to media inquiries on Thursday (May 2), MFA said “We will cooperate with the Japanese authorities and take the necessary actions. We would also be prepared to waive diplomatic immunity to facilitate investigations if the alleged facts bear out”.
The ministry said it expects all its staff to uphold the highest standards of conduct and abide by the laws of their host countries. They have reached out to the relevant authorities for information and will be thoroughly investigating the incident.
“From the time of the alleged offence on Feb 27, 2024, to today, we have not received information from the authorities in Tokyo. The ministry has reached out to the relevant authorities for information and will be thoroughly investigating the incident,” the ministry added according to the report.
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