The long legal process is finally coming to an end in the case of ufotable founder Hikaru Kondo’s tax evasion case. The final trial was held and the penalties have been decided. Kondo faces a 40 million yen (about $353,000) fine and a 20-month prison sentence.
The closing arguments had prosecutors accusing Kondo of being “selfish and greedy” and claimed he “relentlessly authorized fraudulent accounting when profits greatly increased, with well-prepared and sophisticated planning for his secret operation.” The prosecutors also claimed that the money was not only being used to fund anime productions but also to buy real estate in Kondo’s name.
He moved money from ufotable-owned cafes and cited poor sales as excuses for low-income tax statements in 2015, 2017, and 2018. He ended up concealing 441 million yen (about $4 million). Since the charges, ufotable did pay back the money owed to the government leaving ufotable with the 40 million yen fine on top of the money they paid back.
The final verdict which will officially draw this case to a close will be handed out on December 10.
Source: Crunchyroll
