KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that one of its diplomats has been suspended for allegedly filming a teenager at a public bath in Japan.
Japanese media said the 55-year-old diplomat, attached to the Singapore embassy in Tokyo, was questioned by police after being suspected of filming a 13-year-old student at a public bath.
The ministry, in a reply to a local news site CNA, said it would extend its cooperation to the Japanese authorities and take necessary actions.
"We would also be prepared to waive diplomatic immunity to facilitate investigations if the alleged facts bear out," the ministry said.
The ministry added that it was made aware of the allegation on Wednesday after being queried by Japanese media. The ministry said the allegations were made against one of its personnel who was previously attached to the embassy.
It added that the officer had completed his tour and had returned to Singapore in mid-April, and did not inform the ministry until he was questioned on Wednesday.
The ministry said it would investigate the incident and has reached out to the relevant authorities for information.
"From the time of the alleged offence on Feb 27 to today, we have not received information from the authorities in Tokyo," said the ministry.
Meanwhile, Japanese news outlet NHK said the diplomat was a former counsellor at the embassy.
Another news outlet, Yomiuri Shimbun, reported that on Feb 27, the man allegedly used his smartphone to record the student who was in a changing room. The boy was reportedly naked.
Staff at the public bath in Tokyo's Minato Ward then called the police, who searched the diplomat's phone and found naked photographs of male customers, reported The Asahi Shimbun.
The diplomat reportedly refused to go to a police station and claimed to have taken photographs at other public baths as well.
Police officers then asked the man to delete the photographs. It was reported that around 700 photographs were deleted, which the man told police he had taken in the six months leading up to the incident.