Three years ago, two post office executives in Tokyo were disciplined and dismissed for illegally taking out stamps exceeding 500 million yen and cashing them, and the Metropolitan Police Department embezzled a 49-year-old former section chief for business purposes. I was arrested on suspicion.
The person arrested was Masaki Hosobata (49), a former accounting manager at the Shiba Post Office in Minato-ku, Tokyo.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the former section manager will pay 94 million yen worth of stamps used to pay for "payment by fee" mail, which pays the fee in a lump sum instead of sticking stamps on envelopes etc. There is a suspicion of misappropriation in business because it was taken out illegally and cashed at a ticket shop.
Originally, the stamps used for payment were postmarked and then shredded and disposed of by the staff in the presence of the director, but at that time, the Shiba Post Office had to carry out such procedures. However, the former section chief took out the stamps more than 100 times without permission.
Three years ago, it was discovered by the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau that two people, including an executive of another post office in Tokyo, had cashed stamps totaling more than 500 million yen, and Japan Post disciplined and dismissed them. I also filed a criminal complaint.
In response to the investigation, the former section chief admitted the suspicion and stated, "I wasted a stamp to be discarded. I intended to donate the amount that was cashed."
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating that he was wearing at least 80 million yen, and is also investigating another former executive on suspicion of embezzlement.
Japan Post "I deeply apologize"
Regarding the arrest of the former section chief, Japan Post said, "We deeply apologize for damaging the trust of our customers. To prevent such cases from occurring in the future, we will thoroughly manage postage stamps such as confirmation by a third party. We will strive to prevent recurrence. "