KYOTO (TR) – Kyoto University revealed on Tuesday that it has dismissed an assistant teacher who over nearly a decade filed expense reports for business trips that he did not take, reports the Sankei Shimbun (July 25).
According to the university, Toshio Hamaguchi, an assistant teacher in a research department for disaster prevention, received 11 million yen in expenses for what were claimed to have been 153 trips for meetings and field surveys between December of 2007 and January of 2016. However, the trips never took place.
In carrying out the ruse, Hamaguchi filed expense reports that included items that did not require a receipt, such as railway fees.
The matter came to light during an internal inquiry in November of last year. Hamaguchi said that the funds were not used for his personal use, claiming that they were for the purchase of office equipment. “I wanted to avoid the trouble of purchasing goods by formal procedures,” Hamaguchi said.
However, the university was not able to prove that the money was used for such a purpose, concluding it was diverted for personal gain, according to the Asahi Shimbun (July 25).
“It is extremely regrettable as this school is supported by public funds,” said Katsumi Yamamoto, a vice president of the university, at a press conference on Tuesday.
Hamaguchi has said that he will repay the funds. The university is seeking to lodge a complaint with police on suspicion of fraud, officials said.
