On multiple occasions between April and October of 2012, Atsushi Hashimoto, the 50-year-old former president of Asahi Shimbun Tokyo Service Center, allegedly withdrew 19 million yen from a company account.
Police have also arrested Koji Suzuki, the 58-year-old former chief of the general affairs department. According to police, Hashimoto ordered Suzuki to make the withdrawals.
Both suspects, who have been accused of corporate embezzlement, admit to the allegations. Hashimoto said that he used the funds to cover personal debt and entertainment expenses.
Police believe that the suspects used similar means to embezzle a total of more than 30 million yen from the company.
“Since the investigation is still ongoing, we would like to refrain from commenting,” a representative of Asahi Shimbun Tokyo Service Center is quoted. “We are cooperating with the investigation.”
