Crime Former Kyoto bus driver loses 12m yen retirement bonus over 1000 yen embezzlement

[thomas]

After a Supreme Court decision, a former Kyoto City Bus driver reportedly forfeited approximately 12 million yen (around $84,000) in retirement benefits for allegedly taking 1,000 yen (about $7) from a passenger's fare. The 58-year-old had challenged the Kyoto City authorities in court, attempting to reverse the decision to withhold his pension.

According to earlier rulings by lower courts, the driver had been employed since 1993. In February 2022, he was said to have kept a 1,000-yen note handed to him by a passenger rather than placing it into the fare processing machine as required. The Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau later discovered the act during a routine review of dashcam footage. In March of that year, they dismissed him from his position and decided to revoke his full retirement payout.

The initial ruling by the Kyoto District Court in July 2023 determined that the man's action constituted "embezzlement" as defined by the Penal Code, thereby justifying the withholding of retirement benefits, dismissing the plaintiff's claim. On appeal, however, the Osaka High Court in February 2024 found the penalty to be excessive, given that the embezzled amount was only 1,000 yen and had been repaid, and overturned the city's decision. The Supreme Court's First Petty Bench on 17 April overturned the appeal verdict, which deemed the penalty too severe, and ruled that the withholding of retirement money was lawful, finalizing the case.

Ex-bus driver in Kyoto loses $84,000 retirement pay for embezzling $7 - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- Following a Supreme Court ruling, a former Kyoto City Bus driver has lost retirement pay of some 12 million yen (about $84,000) for pocketing

mainichi.jp

 

[johnnyG]

Maybe replace "pension" in that with 'severance pay' (退職金)?

 

[nice gaijin]

holy crap. The American mind boggles.

Of course, it also seems like an insanely outsized punishment for a working class schmuck; the blatant embezzlement and corruption of my own country's wealthy have weighed heavy on my mind lately.

Perhaps it was a habitual crime but they only caught him red handed once, but I'm a little surprised that the High Court went ahead and reversed the decision... Seems like it even worsens the punishment, because he had the shame of being fired and misfortune of being denied his retirement benefits, but then over a long legal battle he triumphed and got it back... only to have it snatched away yet again, and that was probably the final say in the matter.

 

[musicisgood]

The public shame is not good for the man. ... not good...

 

[mdchachi]

He's a possible candidate to become one of the suicide statistics now for sure.

 

[Ukigumo]

It seems unreasonably harsh and somewhat against natural law.

 

[salyavin]

One that that surprises me is this is international news. I saw it on a CBS news site in America, a local news site. I would wager local staff even in my city sometimes steal and get fired and it will not make international news. The shame in a country like Japan on being on international news would be a bit too much for most I would think. I hear it being "public money" rather than say stealing from a convenience store that makes it more noteworthy.

 

[Lothor]

These very harsh sentences for minor misdemeanours are quite common in Japan. I remember hearing of someone being sent to prison for stealing a few yen from a shrine pour encourager les autres.

 

[salyavin]

I suppose their thinking is it maintains the safe society we love. I wonder what the most minor crime a foreign resident lost their residency for. Dewi Soekarno being a foreign resident but wealthy and a former national applying to be a national again will of course be forgiven for throwing a glass so just like anywhere else the punishments do not apply to the wealthy.

 

[Ukigumo]

I have a friend who was resident and University professor in Japan for about 10 years. He had a very low opinion of the Japanese police and in particular their deductive skills. He was arrested and detained for several hours questioning for possessing a 'stolen' bicycle for which he had a receipt of purchase.

 

[thomas]

I have a friend who was resident and University professor in Japan for about 10 years. He had a very low opinion of the Japanese police and in particular their deductive skills. He was arrested and detained for several hours questioning for possessing a 'stolen' bicycle for which he had a receipt of purchase.

There are bad apples everywhere. I have been cycling here for over twenty years and have never been stopped or interrogated. However, if his bicycle was reported stolen, he might find himself in treacherous waters, with or without proof of purchase.

Local law enforcement takes bicycle theft (esp. mamachari) quite seriously.

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Post in thread 'Have you encountered discrimination or prejudices in Japan?'

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