A policeman in Fukuoka probably shouldn't expect any chocolates for Valentine's Day, after the Fukuoka Prefecture Police Department announced Tuesday that the married sergeant in his 40s was being punished for trying to marry a second woman.

The sergeant maintained that he was single while having an affair with the woman, they said. But the lie he kept alive for a few years was exposed last November when he tried to hold a wedding reception.

The bride's relatives became suspicious when no one from the groom's family joined in the festivities.

When the sergeant, pushed by the bride's side, called one of his relatives, that relative came to believe the policeman was somehow the victim of a crime. The relative called the police for help.

Later in the day, the sergeant admitted to his would-be bride and her relatives that he was already married.

During questioning by the prefectural police, he reportedly said the relationship with the woman had "dragged on" before coming to its conclusion.

The policeman was hit with a pay cut last Thursday. But the prefectural police did not publicize the punishment because the case did not meet the standards set out by the National Police Agency for disclosing a disciplinary action.

The woman has yet to file a damage report with the police, the officials said.