Japan businessman faces more fraud charges in Australia
SYDNEY, Jan. 13 Kyodo Japanese businessman Hiromi Kawada appeared in court in Queensland, Australia, on Wednesday to face further charges of fraud against famous Japanese musician Eikichi Yazawa. The 42 charges, brought against Kawada in the Southport Magistrates Court on the Gold Coast by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, resulted from an investigation into the management of Yazawa’s affairs through two companies of which Yazawa was the principal shareholder. The two companies are Comestock Corp. (Australia) Proprietary Ltd. and Jillbridge Proprietary Ltd. Kawada was charged with obtaining a bank guarantee of 6 million Australian dollars under false pretenses, misappropriating a Gold Coast property and 374,182 Australian dollars belonging to Yazawa, 22 charges of forgery and 13 charges of making a false written statement with intent to deceive Yazawa. These charges are in addition to 18 charges brought against Kawada after his arrest on the Gold Coast last August for allegedly misappropriating 34,780 Australian dollars belonging to Yazawa and forging bank statements. Kawada will next appear in Southport Magistrates Court on March 23, when the magistrate will decide if there is enough evidence to commit the case to trial in a higher court. Meanwhile, Kawada has surrendered his passport and been ordered to report to police on a weekly basis and not to approach any port of international departure.
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