NHK said Friday it fired a reporter arrested in November on suspicion of setting a fire at a construction site in Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture.
Hirofumi Kasamatsu, 24, who was a reporter at NHK's Otsu station in Shiga Prefecture, was arrested Nov. 5 for allegedly setting fire to a cardboard box at the construction site in June. He was served a fresh arrest warrant Nov. 25 on suspicion of burning down a house in Otsu.
NHK has already apologized to those affected.
Police said they are investigating possible links between Kasamatsu and 11 other suspected arson fires in Otsu.
Kasamatsu has reportedly admitted setting the box fire and other blazes in Otsu in April and May.
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