Reports indicate that a former worker at a Bandai Namco-affiliated company allegedly “diverted” nearly 500 million yen, equivalent to approximately $3.38 million in US currency, between the years 2021 and 2023. As a result, the individual was taken into custody, and numerous leaders within the subsidiary faced a temporary reduction in their salaries, according to an official announcement from the organization.
Although the arrest occurred back in January of 2024, Bandai Namco is only now publicly revealing the incident. They have been actively pursuing legal action, both civil and criminal, against the ex-employee. The details were disclosed in a public statement which also outlined the purported wrongdoing and the corrective measures Bandai Namco has implemented.
The alleged fraudulent activity took place at Bandai Logipal, Bandai Namco’s Hong Kong-based division. The discovery was made through an internal review process. Following the arrest of the former staff member, Bandai Logipal imposed disciplinary measures on several members of its management team, specifically in the form of a short-term wage decrease. Four executives and three full-time board members experienced a 30% reduction in pay for a three-month period that began in April 2024. Additionally, two other full-time directors had their compensation reduced by 15% during the same timeframe.
“Our entire group views this event with the utmost seriousness. We offer our sincere and profound apologies to all stakeholders for any apprehension and inconvenience caused by this situation,” Bandai Namco stated. “We pledge our complete cooperation with local law enforcement authorities throughout the investigation process. As an organization, we are committed to working together to prevent any recurrence of such events.”
To mitigate the risk of similar incidents in the future, Bandai Namco, headquartered in Japan, is establishing a new department responsible for overseeing the management practices of its international subsidiaries. The company anticipates that the financial impact of this event on the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, will be minimal.
In related news, Sony recently unveiled a plan to invest $463 million into Bandai Namco. This investment forms part of a “strategic collaboration” that will grant Sony an approximate 2.5% ownership stake in the entertainment firm. While both companies are prominently recognized for their involvement in video games, Bandai Namco and Sony jointly stated their intentions to “concentrate on expanding the fan base for intellectual properties like anime and manga worldwide and strengthening engagement, particularly within the anime sector, where significant market growth is predicted.”