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Ufotable is, without a doubt, one of the most prestigious animation studios in the modern anime industry. He acquired his fame thanks to high-profile projects such as Demon Slayer, Fate/Zero and the opening of the saga Tales of. Unfortunately, in recent months he was involved in a controversy.
In July, prosecutors in Tokyo, Japan, issued a formal indictment against Hikaru Kondo, founder and president of Ufotable, for tax fraud and failing to pay about $ 1.24 million in taxes. Soon after, the animation studio addressed the situation and said they released a corrected tax return.
The next update on this controversial case took place in September, just as Hikaru Kondo admitted in a preliminary hearing that he did tax fraud. There he also issued an apology and confessed that he did not think that tax evasion would bring consequences to the animation studio.
Hikaru Kondo could avoid going to jail if he meets a requirement
This week, the Tokyo District Court finally handed down a guilty verdict on the founder and chairman of Ufotable on the charge of violating the Corporation Tax Law and the Consumption Tax Law. His sentence will be 20 months in prison.
However, a suspended sentence was handed down. This means that if Hikaru Kondo is well behaved for 3 years, he will not serve his prison sentence.
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The court affirmed that the company’s accountant, who is also the wife of its founder, expressed mistrust when manipulating the tax return. However, Kondo insisted, which seems to prove his intentions to commit millionaire fraud.
Through its website, the company issued a statement where it acknowledged Kondo’s conviction and issued an apology to fans and all related parties that could be affected. Finally, he acknowledged that they will take advantage of the incident to move towards a more sustainable level of production.
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But tell us, what do you think of this situation? Do you think the sentence was fair? Let us read you in the comments.
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