TOKYO (TR) – The government of Kyoto announced on Monday the dismissal of a member of the business development division of the Kyoto Waterworks Bureau for embezzling public funds for personal use, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Dec. 17).
Starting around November 2010, Katsumi Hayashi, 59, created fake users of the Kyoto water supply system. Between January of 2011 and this past November, he subsequently forged receipts for the return of deposits for the shutting down of those water services and received the funds personally.
Over the period in question, authorities believe the former employee, who was responsible for registering the data related to the return of deposits, received a total of 4.91 million yen through 148 faked requests.
“I set the money aside to go to a snack club once or twice a month,” he reportedly told the government of Kyoto in admitting to the allegations.
Kyoto prefectural police intend to file charges against Hayashi.