KUMAMOTO (TR) – A former secretary of a Diet member who fled from officers in Kumamoto City last week did so because he thought he was being pursued by gangsters, police have revealed, reports Fuji News Network (July 16).
At around 11:00 a.m., Hisato Fujiki, 43, surrendered to police at a substation in Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture. “I am tired,” he reportedly said. The following day, he was arrested on suspicion of interfering with the duties of a public servant.
On the morning of July 9, six officers arrived at the residence of Fujiki in Nishi Ward, Kumamoto City to perform a search on suspicion of violations of the Stimulants Control Law.
However, Fujiki fled the scene in a violet Toyota Harrier. Three of the officers grabbed the side of the vehicle and were dragged several meters before it sped off. The officers suffered minor injuries, police said previously.
“I didn’t know they were the police,” the suspect said in denying the allegations upon his arrest on Sunday. In the latest development, he added, “When I got into [my] car, [the officers] called out to me and I fled since I thought they were gangsters. They did not show badges or a warrant.”
While serving as the private secretary to House of Representatives member Takeshi Noda in 2015, Fujiki was accused of using kakuseizai, or stimulant drugs. He was later handed an 18-month prison term, suspended for three years.
In addition to Fukuoka Prefecture, police believe that Fujiki traveled through Saga Prefecture during his five days on the run. A sample of his urine is being tested to determine whether he used stimulant drugs, according to TBS News (July 15).
