Officers of Saitama Prefectural Police Department's Ogawa Station allegedly left a drunken man to die in a police station yard two years ago, and then made a false report in an attempt to cover up their negligence, it was learned Sunday.
The prefectural police began questioning the officers involved and are considering filing criminal charges for forgery of official documents.
The latest mishaps by Saitama police officers will likely prompt renewed criticism of the prefectural police department, whose reputation has been already tainted by its inappropriate handling of a stalking-turned-murder case in Okegawa and its subsequent coverup attempt.
According to police sources, the officers on patrol found a man in his 50s on a municipal road on Aug. 9, 1998 in Ogawa, Saitama Prefecture.