OSAKA -- The manager of a volunteer group in Osaka has been arrested on suspicion of embezzling welfare support money from a homeless man, police said Monday.
Osaka police said they suspect a criminal gang is behind the group's activities, adding that they believe money was similarly embezzled from the welfare payments of 50 to 60 other homeless people.
Toshihiro Wada, 43, who heads the Joto branch of the Kensei Remmei-kai group in Osaka's Joto Ward, allegedly embezzled 200,000 yen of the 440,000 yen paid from public coffers to a homeless man between December 2000 and February 2001, police said.
In October, Wada persuaded the 70-year-old homeless man, who was at that time sleeping outdoors in Chuo Ward, to move to a residential facility in Joto Ward. Wada then applied for welfare support on his behalf.
The man was left with only 10,000 yen in spending money after paying the facility's 40,000 yen rent and other expenses.
Wada has admitted to taking the sum from the man's welfare payments but says he gave it to the group, the police said.