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Osaka assistant police inspector accused of falsifying evidence

54 Comments

A policeman in Osaka, who lost a piece of evidence, attempted to conceal the mistake by replacing it with fake evidence, it has been revealed.

A 53-year-old assistant police inspector from a police station in Yao is accused of destruction of evidence and falsification of official documents last October, Fuji TV reported. Two of his colleagues, both police sergeants, are to be disciplined for their complicity in the falsification.

Investigators said assistant police inspector lost a wooden sword that was required as evidence in an ongoing case. In an attempt to conceal his mistake, he is believed to have replaced it with a sword taken from the station kendo practice room, Fuji TV reported.

The same man also became embroiled in an altercation with a train passenger on the evening of the day on which he lost the evidence, police revealed. He was allegedly intoxicated, and attempting to swing his legs while holding on to the train safety handles, when the argument began.

The Osaka Metropolitan Police Department says the man has been suspended from work for six months and that the two police sergeants who were complicit in the falsification will both receive pay cuts, Fuji reported.

During police questioning, the officer was quoted by investigators as saying, "I thought I was going to lose my job for the incident on the train and for losing the evidence, so I decided to come clean about the falsification too."

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54 Comments
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"The same assistant police inspector also became embroiled..."

"Assistant police inspector" repeated four times in this article ...name withheld?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So much of this kind of news is coming out of Osaka, it's like a war zone!

My manager tried to send me to a meeting in Osaka but I refused to go as I said they could not guarantee my safety there.

If there is trouble you can't even call the police as they are doing things like this. It's just chaos and anarchy down there by the sounds of things.

-11 ( +6 / -17 )

How do you lose a wooden sword?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

It's a good thing these cops have a kendo practice room. You never know when you are going to get into a kendo fight on the street with some errant criminal.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

6 months suspension??! WTF??! He should have been fired without severance pay. What possible incentive is there to not behave like this when all they get is a slap on the wrist??!

6 ( +8 / -2 )

gaijinfo, what are you talking about? If they find themselves in an altercation while walking thier patrol route, they can whip out thier 'shinai' and ....oh wait....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Americanforeigner Re-read what you actually wrote. War Zone? Chaos and Anarchy? If Osaka is like that then Any American city would then be rated as a Nuclear Zombie Land. This is a drunk fool on a train breaking the law. That being said, this story is hilarious! What is not funny at all is the police breaking the laws they are supposedly supposed to enforce. Their punishments are also too light. Any cop who does anything like that (knowingly breaks the law and even lies about it) should lose his job and then punishment should be thought out for him. He could have completely altered the ongoing investigation in which he was involved, possibly harming the citizens involved.

Permanently fired and some jail time sounds better.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Fire him! Like Nicky said.

Osaka is a great place - best place to live in Japan. Crappy if you're a tourist but the locals are great, the food is fantastic and not Tokyo prices or crowds!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

These are the same cops who forced a passenger off a train last October ( six drunk cops). They should be all fired and their names be made public.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

only a pay cut????! thats the benefit of being a 公務員 :(

3 ( +3 / -0 )

AmericanForeigner which Osaka are you talking about. Surely not the one I live in.

As for the policeman, 6months is way too easy of a punishment for a crime like that. falsifying evidence should be punished severely.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Great ... cops falsifying evidence ... makes one wonder whether the guy they catch are actually guilty of crimes or just used as scapegoats for the cops' behaviors.

And, 6 months suspension? Wow ... makes me want to join the Japanese police force, corporate system or politics even! Then I can do some crime and just bow/apologize for it later ... then promise to resign after getting some bonuses first.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@Americanforeigner... question for you here; "Do you ever get out of the house much?"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Why do they even bother collecting real evidence when they could just make up any thing as evidence. Oh sorry they actually already do that.

And when has an argument on a train been a crime?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Oh and another thing to American Foreigner, don't be surprised if you don't last long in your job for refusing to do what your company tells you to do.

For a city of it's size Osaka is one of the safest places on the planet comparatively speaking, I suppose you'd tell folks you wouldnt go to Chicago because you fear for your safety.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

marcelito.....actually no, if you read their post it comes across quite seriously with no sarcasm intended at all.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

"How do you lose a wooden sword?"

That's what I'd like to know. Evidence is usually required to be locked up in a secure area.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

In other countries, the fact that he falsified evidence on this case would lead defense lawyers to call into question the evidence provided in every case this man ever worked on in the past. With the "reasonable doubt" now in play, many convictions would be overturned and the ramifications would be appalling leading to the man being punished for far more than the measly 6 months suspension from work. He'd surely be in prison in most countries, then again this is Japan.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

No wonder Osaka is overrun with organized crime, with such an errant police force. Those of you who claim Osaka to be "safe" need to spend more time here on JT. Random stabbings, you name it, the place must be a nightmare.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

@AmericanForeigner

I personally have been to Osaka many times ... about 4-6 times a year for 4 years. Some for business meetings, and some for R&R. I would usually spend about 2-3 days there and so far, I haven't personally experienced any problems with your so-called "organized crime" or even "errant police force".

As a matter of fact, I would usually go to the nearest koban just to ask for directions, specially on late evening "strolls" in the city.

Crime is Japan is still very low as compared to many other industrialized countries, where drive-by shootings, drugs and other vicious crimes are a daily occurence.

From your posts, I would say that you haven't been there yet, and as such, please stop posting your hate messages about Osaka, or any other place you haven't even have the pleasure to visit.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Random stabbings, you name it, the place must be a nightmare.

Yeah! Right on! Absolutely! Sort of like.....well....every other city I can think of....

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I live in Osaka and have no problems walking the streets at night!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

what a boob, no wonder he lost the evidence.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The guy ONLY gets six months?? His neglect could result in a criminal being released back into society. Worse yet if the crinimal is innocent but they falsify evidence to make him look guilty, as Osaka inspectors are well known to do (big scandal a couple years back involving people all the way up to judges!) someone will suffer because of this man's stupidity. Six months for the drunken incident, I understand, but for losing and then falsifying evidence he should be canned at the very least, and in addition charged with some crimes at best.

One reason why things like this seem to happen so often (corruption, drunken incidents with police, etc.) is that the punishment is so mild.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Where on earth do they recruit these turkeys from? As for Osaka - I happen to like the joint and the working-class people they have there - (very cheap place to visit too!) but I know a great many Japanese who are actually quite prejudiced against the place and Kansai people. Their cops seem pretty ordinary though...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Hard to lose a big stick.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@AmericanForeigner

. Those of you who claim Osaka to be "safe" need to spend more time here on JT

As opposed to those knowing about the city by living there?

So people should not trust what they see with their own eyes and rely on the mass media?

Visted Osaka fairly regularly - I like Kansai people in general. Much friendlier than some other parts of Japan.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Haha I dont which is more funny & sad the blurb that started this thread or AForeigner who has got a bunch of you all worked up haha.

Like marcelito pointed out its SARCASM everyone, clearly, haha

As for the putz of a keystone, why on earth he is still employed is way way beyond the pale.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

smithinjapan - The thing is, if it was a strong & harsh sentence, it might deter other officers from doing it. Can't have that so it's best just to give him a 6 month break and then let him come back when it's all forgotten about.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I'm quite fond of the Osaka people too! Nothing like that garbage of Tokyo. That said, It's really embarrassing that the Police can get away with crimes in this country. Laws that are not enforced, no real punishment for these individuals. These cops reached a new low everyday it seems.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

@ AmericanForeigner "No wonder Osaka is overrun with organized crime, with such an errant police force. Those of you who claim Osaka to be "safe" need to spend more time here on JT. Random stabbings, you name it, the place must be a nightmare." I agree please help by putting this info on other sites so the WORLDd can know how it really is over here..it will save us in the long run I'm American 2...many thanks!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

WTF an osaka police inspector falsifying evidence. This guy is one corrupt policeman in Japan. No telling what the J-cops will do.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I remember the leg-swinging incident too. Well, he had a bad day thats for sure.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Godan, that's a very good point! It brings suspicion to every case he's been involved so far. It could be used by lawyers to overturn some previous judgements. He should be fired, but in case he's not, he will also weaken every case he's going to be involved in.

One question to the editors of Japan Today : sometimes, the names of accused people are given (for example in the current story about the two parents held on suspicion of burning their baby's body in a park), sometimes they are not (like this case involving a policeman). What are the relevant rules? Are public officials names protected when they are arrested?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If the police release the names, then we can publish them.

“I thought I was going to lose my job for the incident on the train and for losing the evidence, so I decided to come clean about the falsification too.”

So he is quite happy. Since the punishment is far lighter than what he was expecting.

Was he suspended with or without pay. I hope without, after a comment like that.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes! Bad drivers as well! And not a kind of place you'd want to get in an accident. Any policeman this corrupt would have no hesitation indicting a foreigner on trumped up charges!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

No wonder Osaka is overrun with organized crime, with such an errant police force. Those of you who claim Osaka to be "safe" need to spend more time here on JT. Random stabbings, you name it, the place must be a nightmare

As someone who lived in Osaka for well over a decade and had a spouse from there, pretty sure I know Osaka well enough to comment that the place is not a nightmare and one of the safes cities of its size - around the world and in Japan. Shame that this jerk makes people question that - that and damn Hashimoto.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

OMG Darren! Did you really see that?

You are so lucky you were there and nothing happened to you! Seriously, imagine if you had called the police and it was the wooden sword guy. No-one would have come to your aid!

BTW what is nashinari? Is it something connected to the underworld?

tmarie, I am shocked you disagree, you of all people I would have thought would have understood that this kind of problem is symptomatic of a larger decay within Japanese society and we are only just beginning to see the repercussions of those problems now.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

Another day, another criminal cop story.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I call Japan on the crap I see - as you seemed to have noticed. Trust me, Osaka is a good place to live and not dangerous. Darren, like you, feel a lot safer in the streets of Nishinari than home - though I wouldn't want to venture to close to Spaworld at night alone.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Altercation can be considered as misdemeanor, but falsifying documents as well as tempering with evidence, now, isn't that criminal offence?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

fair enough tmarie but you must have noticed the huge amount of crime in Osaka being reported on JT. I have to call em how i see em too and so one can only deduce that Osaka is indeed unsafe, no matter if you have fond memories of the place or not!

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

As you say it's not somewhere you would walk alone at night!

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

As you say it's not somewhere you would walk alone at night! I didn't say that abotu all of Osaka, one area that has a very high homeless rate.

Lots of crime coming out of Tokyo as well. Thing is, a lot of it doesn't get reported.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I agree that a lot of crime goes unreported here. It's all part of the myth of "safety Japan". As you say these cities are as dangerous if not more so than anywhere else in the world!

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

As you say these cities are as dangerous if not more so than anywhere else in the world!

As I say? Have said no such thing!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

tmarie, you are often so correct about the ills of Japanese society, no reason to give this city a free pass!

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Police corruption in Osaka: memories of the Umeda chief of police offering me a bribe to not pursue police harassment....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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