A Japanese diplomat has been arrested on suspicion of setting a fire to conceal evidence that he embezzled money at the nation’s embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
the BBC reported Tuesday.
Authorities believe that Shinya Yamada, 30, who reportedly oversaw accounting at the Japanese Embassy in Kinshasha, stole the money in order to finance his gambling activities and set the June 20 fire to hide the theft.
Approximately $260,000 in embassy funds had gone missing, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, according to the BBC.
No-one was hurt in the fire, which damaged the fourth floor of the mission and forced the embassy’s 20 staff members to move into temporary quarters offsite.
Police said they found agas tank at Yamada’s home and that he was the last person to depart on the day of the blaze.
Following Yamada's arrest, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida apologized publicly for the alleged arson attack,
Xinhua reported.
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