Saint Seiya author alleges ex-aide stole $29m

Masami Kurumada, the Japanese author of the manga series "Saint Seiya", said on Wednesday in Tokyo that he is suing a former business associate accused of embezzling $29 million from his businesses over more than a decade.

Kurumada, 72, said the former manager was responsible for accounting and handled the artist's business money. He said he had trusted the man with all money coming in and going out of the firms.

AFP, citing local media, reported that the former manager has returned 1.8 billion yen, or $11.3 million, of the 4.68 billion yen he is alleged to have embezzled. It reported that Kurumada filed a damage claim with the Tokyo District Court against the former staff member and his businesses to recover the remaining 2.89 billion yen.

Kurumada began writing "Saint Seiya" in the 1980s for Weekly Shonen Jump. The series has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, according to the specialist site Mangazenkan, and has been adapted into an animated series, films, video games and trading cards.