A Japanese man was charged with two counts of murder in the Philippines over the deaths of two other Japanese nationals. Insurance money was one of the motives being investigated, based on a testimony by one of the accomplices.

The prosecutor’s office of the western Philippine province of Palawan alleged that Hiroyuki Nagahama, 55, was the mastermind behind the killing of Yoshihiro Arai, 24, and Masaru Itani, 59.

Reynante Labampa, who was an associate of Nagahama since last year, told police that the killings had something to do with the victim’s life insurance, reports ABS-CBN. He added that Nagahama stood to profit twice from the crime: first by becoming a middleman in the search and retrieval operations by authorities, and second by claiming commission from Japanese insurance firms.

Witnesses said that local men hired by Nagahama pretended to take the victims on an island hopping tour, but instead shot the two victims and threw their bodies into the sea.

Labampa and three other Filipinos suspected to be accomplices to the crime are now in police custody. At least three others are still at large.

Nagahama, a native of Osaka, Japan, has denied the allegations. He is currently detained in the Palawan provincial jail in Puerto Princesa City.


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