A police commissioner once responsible for cybercrime investigations across Japan was fired and faces prosecution over allegations he falsified overseas business expenses to embezzle public funds for his personal use.
The National Police Agency dismissed Ko Ikai, 55, on Sept. 10 after its investigation found he faked receipts on 50 occasions between July 2022 and April 2026 and illicitly received a total of about 1.73 million yen ($11,000) in reimbursements.
The Metropolitan Police Department referred Ikai’s case to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, accusing him of fraud, breach of trust and using fabricated sealed private documents.
EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR
The NPA said Ikai’s wrongdoing occurred while he served as a liaison officer at the European Police Office (Europol) in the Hague and later as the NPA’s cybercrime investigation division manager.
The NPA’s investigation found that Ikai used the improperly obtained money to cover entertainment costs, living expenses and spending related to a woman with whom he was having an affair.
That extramarital relationship started around 2020, the NPA said.
Ikai admitted to the allegations and repaid about 1.84 million yen, including late-payment charges, on Sept. 3, the NPA said.
“I wanted money that I could use freely. I apologize deeply for causing trouble to the public,” NPA investigators quoted him as saying.
Regarding the forged receipts, he reportedly said, “I kept doing it because they turned out better than I...
A police commissioner once responsible for cybercrime investigations across Japan was fired and faces prosecution over allegations he falsified overseas business expenses to embezzle public funds ...