Aichi cop arrested for swindling housewife

NAGOYA -- A police officer and his girlfriend were arrested on Tuesday for swindling a housewife out of 500,000 yen, police said.

Osami Kojima, 52, an assistant inspector at Anjo Police Station, and his girlfriend Mie Murase, 38, both residents of Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, stand accused of fraud.

Kojima has admitted to the allegations, saying, "I wanted money to enjoy myself," while Murase has given ambiguous statements, police said.

After learning that the 40-year-old housewife was having problems with a male acquaintance, Kojima called her, pretending to be him and asking her for cash, on Aug. 17 and 18, investigators allege.

The housewife consulted with Murase over the trouble, who told her, "You'd better just pay him off and not tell the police about it." Murase then told the victim that she would give the male acquaintance his "settlement money", and had the housewife transfer 500,000 yen to her account.

The housewife filed a criminal complaint with police in September last year, and the prefectural police suspected Kojima's involvement in the case. Kojima submitted a letter of resignation in December, but the prefectural police refused his request as he was likely to be subject to punishment.

"It is very regrettable that an incumbent police officer was arrested on fraud charges, and we deeply apologize to the prefectural residents," said Hiroshi Saito, head of the police affairs department of the Aichi Prefectural Police.

Kojima was employed as policeman in April 1979 and has worked for the security division of Anjo Police Station since October 2005.

詐欺：警部補が女と共謀　主婦から５０万円詐取　愛知

　愛知県警安城署の警察官が交際相手の女と共謀して女の知人から５０万円をだまし取ったとして、県警は１１日、同県東海市横須賀町、同署警備課警部補、小島修身（おさみ）容疑者（５２）と、同市名和町３、無職、村瀬三恵容疑者（３８）を詐欺容疑で逮捕した。小島容疑者は女性のトラブルに付け込み女性を脅迫する一方、相談相手を装い、現金をだまし取ったという。

　調べによると、小島容疑者は村瀬容疑者の知人の名古屋市南区の主婦（４０）を脅すなどして、０７年８月３１日午前７時半ごろ、村瀬容疑者の銀行口座に５０万円を振り込ませてだまし取った疑い。小島容疑者は「遊ぶ金がほしかった」と容疑を認め、村瀬容疑者はあいまいな供述をしているという。県警は安城署や小島容疑者の自宅などを家宅捜索する方針。

　小島容疑者は、主婦が知人男性とのトラブルを抱えていることを知り、この男性になりすまし、同月１７日と１８日、主婦に「落とし前を付けろ」などと電話で現金を要求。一方、主婦から相談を受けた村瀬容疑者は同１８日、小島容疑者とともに主婦に会って「お金で解決できるならそうしたほうがいい。警察には言わないほうがいい」と「助言」。村瀬容疑者が現金を用意して知人男性に渡したように装い、村瀬容疑者の口座へ現金を振り込ませた。小島容疑者は自身が警察官であることを隠していた。

　主婦は同年９月、被害届を提出。県警の捜査で、小島容疑者の関与が浮上した。小島容疑者は１２月、辞職願いを提出したが、県警は「処分対象になる可能性がある」として受理を保留していた。小島容疑者は７９年４月に採用され、０５年１０月から安城署警備課。【米川直己】

　▽斉藤寛・警務部長の話　現職警察官が詐欺の罪で逮捕される事態に至ったことは誠に遺憾であり、県民に深くおわび申し上げる。

Mainichi

March 11, 2008