OSAKA, Oct 09 (News On Japan) –
A former metropolis councilor from Neyagawa City in Osaka Prefecture has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for defrauding the federal government of a major sum by means of COVID-19 aid loans.
Mika Yoshiba, a 44-year-old former metropolis councilor, was convicted for her involvement in three fraud circumstances. In January 2021, Yoshiba, together with an confederate who has already been convicted, facilitated a public mortgage of 600 million yen for a medical company in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, from which they swindled 230 million yen as a fee charge.
Throughout the trial, Yoshiba constantly claimed her innocence, arguing that she had been deceived by the confederate.
However, the Fukuoka District Court rejected her protection, stating that her claims weren’t solely “unreasonable but highly suspicious.” The courtroom criticized her motives, highlighting her egocentric pursuit of private achieve whereas serving as a public official, describing her actions as “reckless and self-centered.” The courtroom handed down a 10-year jail sentence, together with an order to pay restitution of roughly 1.98 billion yen, according to the prosecution’s request.
Source: YOMIURI