A scandal has erupted in Ukraine regarding the Japanese volunteer Fuminori Tsuchiko, who was unable to extend his residence permit. The issue was resolved after the mayor of Kharkiv intervened, granting the Japanese national permission to stay.
Tsuchiko gained recognition for opening the FuMi Caffe in Saltivka, Kharkiv, where he has been providing free meals to residents since 2023. During this time, he received support from donors, preparing around 600 lunches daily for the people of Kharkiv.
However, following a recent scandal, questions about Fuminori Tsuchiko's past have resurfaced in the public eye.
Journalist Tatyana Dotsiak highlighted on her Facebook that 16 years ago, the Japanese man was convicted for stealing Nintendo DS consoles, something he disclosed in an interview with Japanese media at that time.
The fact that Fuminori served time in prison raised concerns for Tatyana, prompting her to dig deeper, questioning his integrity:
"It turned out that Fuminori had already received help to legalize his status last year, yet he did nothing over the year to prevent this from happening again, only raising a fuss, hinting at corruption in the migration service, when his accounts were blocked."
Dotsiak also mentioned that she came across information regarding questionable aspects of his activities, such as allegations of financial fraud with partners and suspicions of misusing charitable funds. One of his associates even ceased collaboration with him due to a loss of trust.
"What frustrates me the most – in the fundraising messages, this Fuminori talks about 'hungry children' who 'haven't had sweets in a long time' and how it struck him that he wanted to treat them to something special. I read this and think: is this really the same person who, at a gray-haired age, stole gaming consoles from children?" – Tatyana questions.