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Japanese swimmer convicted of theft at Incheon Asiad

May 28, 2015

Japanese swimmer Naoya Tomita, who was suspended for stealing a camera at the Asian Games, attends a news conference in Nagaya, central Japan, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014. Tomita has denied the allegations, claiming someone placed the camera in his gym bag. He initially admitted to stealing a camera left poolside by a South Korean reporter on Sept. 25 at the games in Incheon, South Korea. (AP Photo/Kyodo News)

INCHEON, May 28 (Yonhap) — A South Korean court on Thursday found Japanese swimmer Naoya Tomita guilty of stealing a camera at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

The district court in the western port city of Incheon ordered Tomita to pay a fine of 1 million won (US$890).

Tomita was convicted of stealing a South Korean journalist’s camera that was left at the Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Center, a swimming arena in Incheon, on Sept. 25.

“The defendant flatly denies the charges against him, not showing any remorse for his crime,” judge Kim Young-ju said in the ruling.

Tomita, the gold medalist in the men’s 200ｍ breaststroke at the 2010 Asian Games, initially admitted to the theft charges but later claimed that he had been falsely accused.

“I am angry and sad that the court did not accept my side of the story,” Tomita told reporters after the verdict, adding that he and his lawyer will discuss whether to file for appeals.