SAITAMA (TR) – Police here have arrested a sports association accountant who vanished for two months after an audit revealed approximately 35 million yen in missing funds, only to be caught sneaking back into his workplace to steal more cash, reports Nippon News Network (July 14).
Hiroki Miura, an employee who handled accounting for the Saitama City Sports Association, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of stealing two bankbooks and two cash cards from the association’s office.
Miura’s disappearance began in May during a financial audit. When colleagues instructed him to retrieve necessary bank documents for the review, he instead fled the premises and went into hiding. Subsequent inquiries with banks uncovered roughly 35 million yen in unaccounted funds, prompting the association to consult the police over suspected embezzlement.
After roughly two months on the run, the fugitive’s funds apparently dried up. On the night of July 12, security guards apprehended Miura after he infiltrated the facility housing the association’s office.
“I ran out of money, so I thought I would log into the internet bank from a workplace computer to steal cash,” Miura told investigators.
Police say the suspect has fully admitted to the allegations of stealing the bankbooks and cash cards. Investigations into the missing 35 million yen are ongoing.
