YAMAGUCHI -- A senior policeman has been reprimanded for losing his police handbook, which serves as his identification, at the end of last year, police said.

The announcement came on Monday after news organizations pointed out that Yamaguchi Prefectural Police had not disclosed that the policeman was reprimanded in May.

According to police, a senior policeman in his 30s at the Yamaguchi Prefectural Police's Chofu Police Station realized that he had lost his police handbook and reported it to his superior on Dec. 18 last year.

The senior policeman was quoted as telling police that he remembers having had the handbook in a pocket of his jacket until early December, but he doesn't remember when and where he lost the item because he failed to check on his belongings every day as all policemen are required to do.

"I thought my police handbook was inside my office desk, but it wasn't. I don't recall what happened (when I lost the handbook) and have no idea about the details."

Prefectural police issued an order to police forces across the nation on Dec. 21 to search for the handbook, but it has not been found yet.

A prefectural police representative said in a statement, "We will once again instruct all employees on the management of their police handbooks in order to prevent a recurrence."

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