A pair of ex-employees of Bandai Co. were charged with the misappropriation of millions meant for various projects, including the iconic Gundam life-size statue in Tokyo.
According to a report by ANN News, 44-year-old Takashi Udatsu and 66-year-old Takao Kurokawa, inflated the construction costs of several projects from 2013, and were only found out after an internal investigation was conducted by Bandai in October 2017.
The amount that the pair swindled totalled to roughly 200 million yen (roughly US$1.8 million) between July 2013 and November 2016, stolen from big (literally) projects including the construction of a towering Gundam statue exhibit in Tokyo in 2013.
According to reports, the company spent about 20 million yen to erect the exhibit, including the various LED lighting setups on the statue, when they really should have paid only half the amount.
Udatsu was reported to have pleaded guilty to the charges, while his accomplice Kurokawa had denied said charges.
“It is regrettable that such a situation occurred,” a company representative expressed in wake of the scandal, which could prove to be a stain on Bandai’s reputation.
“We will strive to prevent a recurrence.”
Where’s a giant robot protector when you need one?
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
Si Jia
Trinity Sun
