The Japanese man serving as an honorary consul for Cambodia in the northeastern city of Sendai failed to declare some 370 million yen ($2.3 million) in income over four years through 2024, sources familiar with the case said Thursday.
Susumu Tai received consulting fees from Japanese companies despite apparently providing no services of the kind to speak of, then funneled most of the money back to the companies while leaving the remainder undeclared, according to the sources.
The National Tax Agency determined that the money he returned to the companies constituted kickbacks, the sources added.
The roughly 20 companies that received kickbacks from the honorary consul have been ordered to pay 700 million yen collectively, the sources said. Tai was likely ordered to pay some 260 million yen, including an added tax for leaving part of his income undeclared.
Cambodia has three other honorary consulates in Japan, located in Osaka, Sakaiminato in Tottori Prefecture and Fukuoka. Honorary consuls promote cultural exchange in areas where there are no official diplomatic outposts, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
The honorary consulate in Sendai was set up in 2019, according to its website, which has a message from Tai on his appointment.
The website also says the honorary consul was appointed a special adviser to Prime Minister Hun Manet in January 2024, and mentions a meeting with the Cambodian leader that took place when Tai visited the country with Miyagi Gov. Yoshihiro Murai in December that year.
During the visit, Tai also attended a ceremony marking the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Miyagi and Cambodia on human resources development and support for hosting Cambodians in the prefecture, according to the website.
© KYODO
