TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two persons over the alleged embezzlement of more than 16 million yen from a seaweed cooperative in Ota Ward, reports TV Asahi (Nov. 11).
On 20 occasions in 2015 and 2016, Yasumasa Kawai, 53, and Yuko Murata, 48, allegedly worked together to misappropriate a total of 16.1 million yen from the accounts of the cooperative, whose members deal in nori, or dried seaweed.
Both suspects admit to the allegations, police said.
At the time, Kawai was the manager of the shop Kawai Nori, which is a member of the cooperative.
According to police, the shop began suffering cash flow problems prior to the crimes. He then approached Murata, who was in charge of accounting at the cooperative.
Kawai then received a bank card from Murata to make the withdrawals.
