Japan officials 'astonished' by Tomita theft denial
Tokyo (AFP) - The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) reacted with "astonishment" on Friday after disgraced swimmer Naoya Tomita denied stealing a journalist's camera at the Asian Games in September, despite previously confessing to the crime.
The 25-year-old, arrested by South Korean police after being identified by poolside security videos, has been banned from competition for 18 months.
But in a bizarre twist he held a news conference on Thursday at which he claimed an unidentified person had put the camera in his bag.
"If someone puts an object in your bag, the first thing you would do is check inside," JOC international relations director Yasuhiro Nakamori told AFP.
"If you're scared of it being an explosive or something suspicious you would inform a team official," he added.
Tomita has said he confessed to stealing the $7,600 camera only because he feared he would not be allowed to return to Japan.
"He was identified from the security videos by a JOC official and from the pictures seen putting the camera into the bag," Nakamori said.
Nakamori also denied claims by Tomita's lawyer that Japanese officials abandoned his client.
"He received support from Japanese officials and Japanese embassy staff," said Nakamori, who also brushed off allegations from Tomita's legal team that the interpreter provided for the swimmer in Incheon did not speak sufficient Japanese.
"He made a lot of excuses, but he already admitted to the crime after being questioned and he signed the charge sheet after checking that the contents were accurate.
"The interpreter fully understood the legal language and explained it to Tomita, while JOC staff were also on hand to assist. We're astonished by his claims."
Tomita, once touted as a successor to Japanese breaststroke king Kosuke Kitajima and gold medallist at the 2010 Asian Games, bowed deeply and apologised for embarrassing his teammates after being released from police custody and paying a fine of one million won ($915).
"I didn't steal the camera," he told reporters in central Nagoya as Japanese officials watched in disbelief on television in Tokyo.
"Maybe my heart was weak."
Tomita claimed a man grabbed his arm and shoved the camera into his bag, adding: "I thought it was rubbish. At big competitions, athletes often exchange pin badges -- I thought it was something like that."
Nakamori insisted the only way Tomita's 18-month ban could be reduced would be if the ruling was overturned in a Korean court.
"The case was tried in Korea and the verdict handed down there," he said.
"His only recourse is through the Korean courts. If he's successful, then and only then will we revisit his suspension."
