SAITAMA (TR) – Saitama Prefectural Police have re-arrested a former accountant for the Saitama City Sports Association on suspicion of embezzling approximately 3.7 million yen to fund a gambling habit, reports Nippon News Network (Aug. 3).
According to police, Hiroki Miura is accused of withdrawing the cash from the association’s bank accounts in May of this year while in charge of the organization’s accounting duties.
Upon questioning, the suspect admitted to the allegations. “I spent it on gambling and living expenses,” Miura told investigators.
Miura initially raised suspicions earlier this year when he mysteriously vanished on the day of a scheduled financial audit. He was subsequently arrested last month for allegedly stealing the association’s bankbooks.
The scandal is expected to grow. The association currently has around 36 million yen in unaccounted-for funds, and police are investigating whether Miura systematically siphoned the massive sum to fuel his gambling activities.
