Okinawa police question U.S. sergeant suspected in fatal hit-and-run

[unhappycamper]

Okinawa police question U.S. sergeant suspected in fatal hit-and-run
By David Allen and Hana Kusumoto, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, November 14, 2009

YOMITAN, Okinawa — A U.S. soldier suspected of driving a car involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident was questioned by Okinawa police for seven hours this week, U.S. Army officials confirmed Thursday.

The sergeant, whose name has not been released, is in the custody of military authorities on Torii Station.

The hit-and-run incident threatens to cloud President Barack Obama’s first trip to Asia this weekend because it is resurrecting longstanding disputes between U.S. and Japanese officials over which nation should have custody of American servicemembers suspected of committing off-base crimes.

Last week, a group of Japanese governors whose prefectures host U.S. military bases were in Washington to lobby for revisions to the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement that would give Japan greater control over military suspects. And Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who is to meet with Obama during the president’s visit, called for turning the soldier over to Okinawa police earlier this week.

Okinawa police have not asked for full custody of the suspect, and no charges had been filed as of Thursday evening, officials said.


Rest opf article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66064