Japan Post's Kyushu Branch announced on the 17th that a former post office manager in his 40s, who was in charge of the Matama Post Office in Bungotakada City, Oita Prefecture, had embezzled a total of ¥16.57 million, including cash entrusted by customers and internal office funds.

A Pattern of Deceit

According to the branch, the man, during his tenure as manager from March 2020 to February of this year, employed various methods to misappropriate funds. He failed to process receipt transactions for cash received from several acquaintances who were customers and made unauthorized withdrawals from entrusted passbooks, embezzling a total of ¥12.72 million through these schemes.

Further Theft and Cover-Up

In a further breach of trust, between March and May of this year, he allegedly embezzled ¥3.85 million in internal post office funds over several instances. To conceal the discrepancies in the office's cash records, he resorted to falsifying account books. The fraud was uncovered in early June during closing procedures for the office, when an audit revealed a mismatch between the actual cash on hand and the recorded balance.

Fallout and Apology

A subsequent internal investigation exposed the full extent of the manager's actions. The embezzled money was reportedly used to repay his personal debts, with the internal funds having since been reimbursed. Japan Post dismissed the man on August 28th and filed a criminal complaint with the Bungotakada Police Station on September 12th on suspicion of professional embezzlement. Hirotaka Hirayama, president of the Kyushu Branch, held a press conference in Oita City on the 17th to offer a deep apology for the incident, acknowledging the severe breach of public trust in an institution tasked with a significant social and public role.