Two 47-year-old lawyers in Hiroshima Prefecture were arrested on suspicion of fraud for deceiving the "sustainable benefits" provided by the government to businesses affected by the new coronavirus.
According to the Hiroshima Prefectural Police, it is the first time in Japan that a lawyer has been arrested on suspicion of defrauding a sustained benefit.
Two people were arrested: Kosuke Kashima (47), a lawyer in Higashi-Hiroshima City, and Shunji Kumamoto (56), a company owner in Hiroshima City.
According to the police, the two were scammed and applied for a scam that the income of the hotel operating company in Hiroshima prefecture, represented by Kashima, was reduced due to the influence of the new corona, and the sustainability benefit of 2 million yen provided by the government was paid. There is a suspicion of fraud as being deceived.
There is also a suspicion that the government has deceived the "rental support benefit" of approximately 3.92 million yen, which is provided by the government to reduce the rent burden on businesses affected by the new Corona.
According to the Hiroshima Prefectural Police, it is the first time in Japan that a lawyer has been arrested on suspicion of defrauding sustainability benefits and rent support benefits.
Police have not disclosed the approval or disapproval of the two, saying they would interfere with the investigation.