[ 2014-03-20 ]

Tokyo police investigates Ghana Embassy in casino raid
Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Wednesday announced
the raid earlier this month of a casino in the
Shibuya entertainment area connected to the
Embassy of Ghana, reports TV Asahi (Mar. 19).

On March 5 at 11:30 p.m., officers arrested
manager Hiroyuki Yamanoi, 35, and nine other
employees for providing illegal baccarat gambling
inside a casino occupying the entire sixth floor
of a multi-tenant building located in Dogenzaka.
Two customers on the premises at the time were
also taken into custody.

Officers seized two baccarat tables and 12 million
yen in cash, according to public broadcaster NHK
(Dec. 19).

In September of 2012, a rental contract requiring
payment of 500,000 yen per month was written using
the name of the previous ambassador to Ghana. The
document was signed at the ambassador’s official
residence and supported by diplomatic
identification.

In March of last year, the name on the contract
was changed to that of the current ambassador,
Edmond Kofi Agbenutse Deh.

The name of the ambassador appeared on a placard
placed at the entrance of the casino. The
ambassador also reportedly visited the casino.

“I thought diplomatic immunity was applicable
through the Embassy of Ghana, and we would not be
caught by the police,” one of the suspects is
quoted by investigators.

Over the past 17 months, the operation collected
200 million yen in revenue.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun (Mar. 19), a
casino paying remuneration to a diplomat with the
Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire was busted in 2010.

Source - tokyoreporter.com

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